Jefferson Misreads "Homespun"

Thomas Jefferson to John Adams,
January 21, 1812
Manuscript letter
Manuscript Division
State Department transfer, 1904 (9.10)

John Adams wrote to Thomas Jefferson on January 1, 1812, enclosing John Quincy Adams's, Lectures on Rhetoric and Oratory, that he referred to as "two Pieces of Homespun." However, the package became separated from Adams's letter in the mail. Eager to resume a correspondence with his old friend and political rival, Jefferson misinterpreted this as homespun cloth and wrote this January 21, 1812, letter on the virtues of producing homespun cloth in America. Only later did Jefferson learn that Adams had been referring to his son's book.