includes the almost incredible volume of Jefferson's writings on practically every aspect of human life-from politics and diplomacy to architecture, philosophy, agriculture, and music. The series includes 18,000 letters written by Jefferson and, in full or summary, 25,000 letters written to him by the great and humble of many nations. No previous edition has included more than fifteen per cent of the total, and only about a fifth of the documents have ever been published anywhere.Covering the years 1760-1776.

Among the fresh contributions made by the documents in Volume 1, which covers the years 1760-1776, are the following: new light on the Declaration of Independence, hitherto unpublished material; full assessment of the part played by Jefferson in the drafting of the Virginia Constitution; full presentation of his efforts in 1776 to disestablish the Church of Virginia and to establish religious toleration; complete presentation of bills and statutes drawn by Jefferson in 1776 in the beginning of his great legislative reforms by which he hoped to "eradicate every fibre of aristocracy"; settlement of the disputed authorship of the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity for Taking Up Arms; first publication of Jefferson's comments on Franklin's Plan of Union, 1775.