Found 3 collections related to Virginia%20--%20Politics%20and%20government%20--%201775-1783

Filippo Mazzei (1730-1816), also known as Philip Mazzei, was an Italian physician, merchant, and agriculturist who served as state agent for Virginia in Europe during the American Revolution, from 1779 to 1782. The Philip Mazzei papers, dated 1775-1785, consist of letters and writings by Mazzei pertaining to his service as state agent for Virginia in Europe, 1779-1783, and letters to his friend and business associate John Page of Rosewell, Virginia, 1775-1785. Letters sent by Mazzei to Virginia governors Thomas Jefferson, 1779-1781, and Benjamin Harrison, 1782, along with two related narratives, describe his attempts to obtain aid for Virginia in the form of loans and supplies and to generally serve the American cause, as seen in his accounts of his social and business engagements and efforts to gather useful intelligence. Related writings consist of Mazzei’s narrative of his capture and imprisonment by the British in 1779, and a comprehensive summary of his work and correspondence in Europe, particularly in France and Italy, from 1779 until his return to Virginia in 1783. Letters to John Page concern Mazzei’s experience with viticulture in Virginia, difficulties with his work in Europe, and personal matters. less

Richard Henry Lee (1732-1794), American statesman, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. He represented Virginia in the Continental Congress and later in the United States Senate. The Richard Henry Lee letters, dated 1771-1793, are written mainly to family members, including his brother William Lee, and chiefly concern mercantile affairs, family matters and political or military news of the day. A letter to kinsman Charles Lee, August 31, 1779, discusses international alliances and mentions his brother Arthur Lee's interest in bringing a libel suit against Silas Deane for his published Address of December 5, 1778. Letters to other correspondents include a 1778 letter to Virginia statesman John Page, discussing British and American military movements and France's entry in the war, and a 1781 letter to an unidentified recipient suggesting means to secure a loan from Holland to help defray Virginia's war costs. Also present are Richard Henry Lee's letter of March 26, 1787 declining the position of delegate at the Constitutional Convention, and his resignation from the United States Senate, October 8, 1792, both letters citing poor health. less