Thomas Jefferson at the Birth of a New Nation: An Important Letter Carried by a Jewish Patriot Communicating the Definitive Treaty of Paris to be Offered at Freeman’s

Lot 80 | Jefferson, Thomas. Autograph letter signed (“Th: Jefferson”), to Chevalier de Chastellux, Annapolis, Maryland, 16 January 1784  | Estimate: $100,000 - 200,000  
 

As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of its founding, Freeman’s is pleased to offer an extraordinary Thomas Jefferson letter (Lot 80, estimate $100,000 – 200,000) as a highlight of How History Unfolds on Paper: Important Americana from the Eric C. Caren Collection, Part X. Written at the very dawn of American independence, the letter captures Jefferson’s reflections on the challenges and promise of the new nation just days after peace with Great Britain had been formally secured. 

Writing from Annapolis, then the seat of the federal government, Thomas Jefferson penned this significant January 16, 1784 letter to the Chevalier de Chastellux just three days after Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris, formally ending the Revolutionary War. In it, Jefferson announced the treaty’s ratification, defended the stability of the new republic against European reports of “anarchy,” and discussed the forthcoming publication of his Notes on the State of Virginia. The letter was dispatched with Lt. Col. David Franks—likely the first Jewish American to serve in the nation’s early diplomatic corps—who was entrusted with carrying one of the official copies of the ratified Treaty of Paris to France. Addressed to one of France’s most important military and literary supporters of the American cause, the letter offers a remarkable firsthand assessment of the United States at the very moment it emerged as an independent nation.Top of Form 

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The Freeman’s sale marks the tenth major auction of Mr. Caren’s extensive and carefully curated holdings. The previous nine sales have attracted international attention and strong institutional and private bidding.  

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Preview Exhibition 

Property from the sale will be on public view in Philadelphia prior to the auction. 

June 22–26 and June 29, 2026 
2400 Market Street 
Philadelphia, PA 19103 

How to Bid  
  
How History Unfolds on Paper: Important Americana from the Eric C. Caren Collection, Part X will be offered at auction on June 30 at 10 AM ET in our Philadelphia saleroom. Bidding will be available in person, over the phone, and via absentee or live online bidding.