A few weeks ago I contacted the good folks at the TJ Foundation to inquire about obtaining primary sources. Ms. Berkes graciously offered to assist and provided me with a list of essentials. Thanks to her invitation, I will be traveling to Charlottesville over the summer to browse their archives and study documents from their collection. They also have the largest catalog of secondary sources on Thomas Jefferson in the country. As Monticello is my “Disneyland” you can only imagine what a thrill this is.  

By Anna’s recommendation we were able to identify a number of recordings on Jefferson’s time here in Fredericksburg (specifically in 1777) including Jefferson's Memorandum Books: Accounts, with Legal Records and Miscellany, 1767-1826, as well as misc. selections from the Papers of Thomas Jefferson. The Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia that is available online via the Monticello website is also a great source of information.

Locally, I am blessed to have the assistance of Barbara Willis, Jeffrey Edmunds and Nancy Moore at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library and fellow historians Marian McCabe and "Skip" Nolan. They have already provided me with copies of newspapers and articles from publications like The Freedom Record and the Thomas Jefferson Institute Quarterly and are obtaining more references for me from the University of Mary Washington and the College of William and Mary.

Every January there is a multi-denominational observance here in Fredericksburg recognizing the Statute. It is held on Washington Ave where a modest monument to Jefferson’s act stands. Apparently the sponsor of this celebration is a Masonic organization called the Sojourners. I am hoping to get in touch with them as well.

With this many people guiding me, I can’t possibly go wrong.

My greatest pleasure as a historian has always been found in the research process. Writing and editing is simply the conclusion to the journey. I have even lectured on historical research and writing to groups like the Kappa Delta Gamma Sorority (Beta Eta Chapter) and the Pittsburgh Writer’s Group (Read Transcript).

I admit that research can be boring, and painful, and frustrating at times, but there is nothing more gratifying than digging through a dusty archive and uncovering something that hasn’t seen the light of day in years. To quote Carl Sagan “Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.”

By focusing on this aspect, the scholarly phase of historical study, it has enabled me to grow both personally and professionally. In fact, if you read my first few books, versus my last two, you will note a significant difference in what I write about - and how I write it. Frankly, I have matured.

I can hardly wait to get started and to think that I will be in the presence of papers that were penned by Jefferson’s own hand (under the supervision of staff of course) will make this process that much more memorable. I have extensive experience examining relics and historical documents, but to see Jefferson’s personal correspondence in person would be something very special.

I’ve outlined a general framework for the manuscript and casually time-lined a schedule that would have me ready for submission to the publisher sometime in mid-late 2012. It may take longer. As I stated in my announcement, this book will be the most challenging, ambitious, and scholarly work of mine to date.

I am in no hurry as this will be my 7th, and perhaps final title. With the exception of penning the occasional article for Patriots of the American Revolution or The Free Lance-Star (…and blog posts of course), my sole writing focus will be on this project. Stay tuned as I hope to share plenty of insights and updates along the way.

PS. Read the formal announcement on this upcoming title.

ABOVE: Artwork by Robert Meganck titled Thomas Jefferson’s Favorite Web Sites.