Autograph letter signed by Thomas Jefferson to James Rawlings, Monticello, VA, June 13, 1823.

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This brief letter illustrates the everyday plight of one of our most admired founding fathers. Much like us today, Jefferson had bills to pay. In this letter, he apologizes for his delay in sending payment for property insurance, noting the cause for his tardiness: “I have been later in getting my produce to market.”

From the Thomas Jefferson Collection.