Member-only story
How Thomas Jefferson Made A Fortune Selling His Book Collection To The United States
The former U.S. President helped replenish the Library of Congress holdings after they were lost in a fire during the War of 1812
Thomas Jefferson is one of the most readily identifiable founding fathers — the group of politicians and thinkers who helped the create the United States and break away from the colonial rule of England. Considered one of the country’s greatest intellectuals, it should be no surprise that during his life he accumulated a vast collection of books. It was from this personal stash that he sold a vast quantity a few years after the end of his term as the 3rd U.S. President to the United States. This sale was to restock the Library of Congress, replacing what had been lost during the War of 1812 when the facility was burned by the British, making the statesman a small fortune from the sale in the process.
According to their website, The Library of Congress:
“Today’s Library of Congress is an unparalleled world resource. The collection of more than 173 million items includes more than 51 million cataloged books and other print materials in 470 languages; more than 75 million manuscripts; the largest rare book collection in North America; and the…
