Letter from Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson to President George Washington
This is a letter from Thomas Jefferson announcing that France has declared war on England and the Netherlands. This war broke out in the course of the French Revolution, as many European powers united against the revolutionary government that executed King Louis XVI in January of 1793. Thomas Jefferson advised that the United States should remain neutral in the conflict, and a neutrality proclamation was issued by the President before the end of April.
The letter also discusses a proposed treaty with American Indians in the area of Lower Sandusky (present-day Ohio). There was a debate among the Cabinet members on the question of ceding lands back to the indigenous peoples that had previously been granted to the United States under previous treaties.
Letter from Secretary of State Thomas Edison to President George Washington, April 7, 1793. National Archives Identifier: 444181333.
The Textual Records Division of the National Archives at College Park holds over 1500 volumes of Miscellaneous Letters (Letters Received) from Record Group 59: General Records of the Department of State. This collection of letters contains all incoming correspondence to the Department of State that was not from a diplomatic or consular officer. Writers of the letters span a wide range and include heads and administrators of the executive branch, members of Congress, and citizens of the United States.