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...
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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.
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