1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,960 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class as a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:12,600 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello and welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 1: a show that explores a new chapter of history every 4 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: day of the week. I'm Gabe Bluzier, and in this episode, 5 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:24,119 Speaker 1: we're talking about the crucial role Thomas Jefferson played and 6 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 1: the development of the world's largest library. The day was 7 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:41,199 Speaker 1: January eighteen fifteen. President James Madison authorized Congress to purchase 8 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: Thomas Jefferson's personal library. At the time, the Library of 9 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 1: Congress was in dire need of books, as its own 10 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 1: three thousand volume collection had been burned by the British 11 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:55,880 Speaker 1: one year earlier. When Jefferson heard of the need, he 12 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 1: put forward his own sizeable collection as a replacement, an 13 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 1: offer that was warmly received by the Library Committee of Congress. Today, 14 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: many of Jefferson's books are on permanent display at the Library, 15 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 1: a tribute to one of its first and most influential supporters. 16 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:17,039 Speaker 1: The Library of Congress, or the l o C, is 17 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:21,399 Speaker 1: the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. It 18 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:24,399 Speaker 1: was established in eighteen hundred by the same bill that 19 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 1: changed the nation's capital from Philadelphia to Washington, d C. 20 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:32,319 Speaker 1: The idea behind It was to provide a research library 21 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:35,680 Speaker 1: for members of Congress so they could access quote such 22 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 1: books as may be necessary for the use of Congress. 23 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,680 Speaker 1: In practice, that meant a lot of books on law 24 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: and economics, as well as dictionaries and other reference books, 25 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 1: and a few volumes on classical history. At first, only 26 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: members of Congress were allowed to use the library, but 27 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: today that privilege extends to the general public as well. 28 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: The l o C Catalog has also been greatly expanded 29 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: over the years, a process that began with the acquisition 30 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 1: of Jefferson's library. On August eighteen fourteen, British troops set 31 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 1: fire to the US Capital building where the original Library 32 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:17,959 Speaker 1: of Congress was housed. The majority of the library's collection 33 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:21,800 Speaker 1: was completely destroyed, and replacing what had been lost was 34 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,640 Speaker 1: going to be very expensive. At the time, most books 35 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,800 Speaker 1: were made in Europe and shipped to the US, increasing 36 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:32,919 Speaker 1: the cost of what we're already high price commodities. Luckily 37 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 1: for Congress and ultimately for the country, former President Thomas 38 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:41,359 Speaker 1: Jefferson stepped in with a much more affordable option. By 39 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 1: the time of the fire, Jefferson had been out of 40 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 1: office for five years. He was retired and living full 41 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: time in Monticello, his plantation estate in Virginia, where he 42 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 1: happened to keep the largest private book collection in the 43 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:58,640 Speaker 1: whole country. He had amassed the catalog over the course 44 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 1: of fifty years, having bought many of the volumes himself 45 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: while serving as a diplomat in France. A few weeks 46 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 1: after the burning of Washington, Jefferson wrote a letter to 47 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:13,079 Speaker 1: Samuel Harrison Smith, a newspaper publisher and close personal friend. 48 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:17,800 Speaker 1: Jefferson mourned the loss of the library, writing quote, I 49 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:20,799 Speaker 1: learned from the newspapers that the vandalism of our enemy 50 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:24,919 Speaker 1: has triumphed at Washington over science as well as the arts, 51 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:27,959 Speaker 1: by the destruction of the public library with the noble 52 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: edifice in which it was deposited. Jefferson knew that restoring 53 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: the Congressional Library couldn't be a top priority for the 54 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: wartime government, but he also recognized the need for such 55 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 1: a resource not only as a tool of Congress, but 56 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 1: as a symbol of the intellectual life of their new nation. 57 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 1: With that in mind, Jefferson offered up his own personal 58 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: library to Congress. The purchase itself would be a formality, 59 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 1: as he agreed from the start to accept any valuation 60 00:03:56,920 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 1: and payment terms decided on by Congress. His one stipulation 61 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 1: was that the library be purchased in its entirety, with 62 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:08,120 Speaker 1: no volumes excluded, on the basis of their subject matter. 63 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: Many in Congress recognized Jefferson's offer as the most expedient 64 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:17,359 Speaker 1: way to rebuild the library's collection. However, the bill to 65 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:21,040 Speaker 1: appropriate funds and approve the purchase did have its share 66 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:25,480 Speaker 1: of detractors. Chief among them was a Federalist representative from 67 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 1: Massachusetts named Cyrus King. He took issue with Jefferson's all 68 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: or nothing requirement, arguing that some of the former president's 69 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:40,280 Speaker 1: books would help spread his quote infidel philosophy, particularly the 70 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 1: ones written quote in languages which many cannot read and 71 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:50,360 Speaker 1: most ought not to read. Despite this opposition, most members 72 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:53,039 Speaker 1: recognized a good deal when they saw it, and the 73 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 1: bill ultimately passed with a narrow margin along party lines. 74 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:00,400 Speaker 1: When Jefferson heard his offer had been accepted, it he 75 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 1: got in touch with a Georgetown bookseller named Joseph Milligan 76 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:06,360 Speaker 1: and hired him to make an official tally of all 77 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:10,279 Speaker 1: the books in his collection. Milligan traveled to Monticello and 78 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 1: counted all of the books by size, eventually coming up 79 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:16,680 Speaker 1: with a total of six thousand, four hundred and eighty 80 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 1: seven volumes. The purchase price was set at twenty three thousand, 81 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 1: nine hundred and fifty dollars, approximately half of the value 82 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:28,600 Speaker 1: that the books would have sold for at auction. Once 83 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:32,280 Speaker 1: the terms of the sale had been finalized, Milligan supervised 84 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:36,080 Speaker 1: the packing and transportation of the books to Washington. Most 85 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 1: were loaded onto wagons in the bookcases they already occupied 86 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:43,359 Speaker 1: at Monticello. The process began in mid April and lasted 87 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,400 Speaker 1: for about a month, with ten wagon loads being shipped 88 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:50,839 Speaker 1: in total. The addition of Jefferson's collection more than doubled 89 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 1: the number of volumes the l oc had lost. Not 90 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 1: only that, it also broadened the scope of the topics 91 00:05:57,160 --> 00:06:01,719 Speaker 1: represented in the library. The course subjects of law, trade, 92 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:05,080 Speaker 1: and history were still well represented, but now they were 93 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 1: joined by volumes on philosophy, literature, mathematics, science, and agriculture. 94 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 1: Jefferson's wide range of interests also provided a book of 95 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:17,920 Speaker 1: needle point designs, as well as an English language copy 96 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:21,839 Speaker 1: of the Koran. Jefferson knew the scope of his collection 97 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: would raise some eyebrows in Congress, but he was adamant 98 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 1: about the importance of a well rounded library. As he 99 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 1: put it, quote, I do not know that it contains 100 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 1: any branch of science which Congress would wish to exclude 101 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 1: from their collection. There is, in fact, no subject to 102 00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:41,800 Speaker 1: which a member of Congress may not have occasion to refer. 103 00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: Jefferson used the money from the sale of his library 104 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 1: to settle some personal debts, but he couldn't stand being 105 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:52,800 Speaker 1: bookless for long. He quickly started a brand new collection, 106 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:56,159 Speaker 1: eventually growing it to several thousand volumes by the time 107 00:06:56,200 --> 00:07:00,760 Speaker 1: of his death in eighteen twenty six. Unfortunately, many of 108 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:04,200 Speaker 1: the books Thomas Jefferson sold to Congress only survived a 109 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:08,279 Speaker 1: few decades after his passing. On Christmas Eve of eighteen 110 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:12,480 Speaker 1: fifty one, the l oc was struck by another devastating fire, 111 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 1: that time due to a faulty chimney flu Two thirds 112 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 1: of the collection was wiped out that night, including most 113 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 1: of Jefferson's contributions. After the fire, the architect of the 114 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 1: US Capital, Thomas Walter, developed a plan to repair and 115 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: enlarge the library room using fireproof materials. The fully restored 116 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 1: library was opened in eighteen fifty three, but it quickly 117 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:39,119 Speaker 1: outgrew the space and was eventually moved across the street 118 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: from the Capital to its own dedicated building. Two more 119 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 1: buildings were later added to help contain the ever growing collection. 120 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 1: In officials at the l OC embarked on a mission 121 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:54,760 Speaker 1: to track down the exact books from Jefferson's Library that 122 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:57,680 Speaker 1: had been lost in the fire of eighteen fifty one. 123 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 1: It took some doing, but as of three they've managed 124 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: to source replacements for nearly all of the four thousand, 125 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:09,480 Speaker 1: three hundred and twenty four volumes that were destroyed. Each 126 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 1: book has the exact same publisher, date, and addition as 127 00:08:13,840 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 1: its original counterpart. Jefferson's Library, including the two thousand or 128 00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:22,200 Speaker 1: so volumes that survived the fire, is currently on public 129 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:24,760 Speaker 1: exhibit as part of the l OC's Rare Book and 130 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:29,440 Speaker 1: Special Collections division. You'll find it appropriately enough in the 131 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 1: libraries Thomas Jefferson Building. Today, the Library of Congress is 132 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:37,679 Speaker 1: considered the largest library in the world, with more than 133 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:40,760 Speaker 1: a hundred and seventy three million items in its collection. 134 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:48,320 Speaker 1: Beyond books, visitors can access millions of newspapers, magazines, maps, photographs, films, 135 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:52,840 Speaker 1: and sound recordings, as well as digital materials including tweets 136 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:56,680 Speaker 1: and the personal papers of hundreds of notable Americans, including 137 00:08:56,679 --> 00:09:00,360 Speaker 1: a couple dozen presidents. It took some time, but the 138 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 1: federal government eventually came around to Jefferson's view. Now, virtually 139 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 1: every subject you could think of is represented in some 140 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:12,560 Speaker 1: form in the library's vast collection, and the country and 141 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:22,319 Speaker 1: its citizens are all the richer for it. I'm Gabe Louisier, 142 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:25,720 Speaker 1: and hopefully you now know a little more about history 143 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:29,319 Speaker 1: today than you did yesterday. You can learn even more 144 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:33,080 Speaker 1: about history by following us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram 145 00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 1: at t d i HC Show, and if you have 146 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:39,200 Speaker 1: any comments or suggestions, you can always send them my 147 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:42,360 Speaker 1: way by writing to This Day at I heart media 148 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 1: dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mays for producing the show, 149 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:48,240 Speaker 1: and thanks to you for listening. I'll see you back 150 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:51,640 Speaker 1: here again tomorrow for another day in History class.