Thomas Jefferson never visited Portugal, but he had many Portuguese friends and acquaintances, and his farm and his table were the beneficiaries of Portuguese exports.
Jefferson was very fond of Portuguese wine. After his residence in Europe, he rejected the "too powerful" Madeira for lighter European wines, always including a store of Portuguese wines like port and, especially, Termo.[1] In 1806, he described a Termo order as a "provison for my future comfort."[2] When ordering for Termo (and making port his second choice) in 1815, he made his well-known comment, "wine from long habit has become an indispensable for my health."[3] Other Portuguese wines that Jefferson purchased were Arruda, Bucelas, Oeiras, and Setúbal.[4]
Jefferson had a number of Portuguese friends and acquaintances. The Portuguese naturalist Abbé José Correia da Serra was a good friend and frequent visitor to Monticello. Jefferson attributed the introduction of the tomato to Virginia to Dr. John de Sequeyra (1712-1795), a London-born Jew of Portuguese extraction.[5] Sequeyra practiced medicine in Williamsburg and attended John Wayles in his final illness. John F. Oliveira Fernandes was another physician with whom Jefferson was friendly; he supplied Jefferson with some of his Portuguese wines.[6]
Jefferson's sheep breeding operations were apparently indebted to the produce of Portugal. In 1810, William Jarvis, U.S. consul at Lisbon, sent purebred Merino sheep to Jefferson and James Madison.[7]
- Lucia Stanton, 1992
Books Relating to Portugal and the Portuguese in Jefferson's Libraries
- Bielfeld, Jakob Friedrich, Freiherr von. Instituciones politicas. Obra en que se trata de los reynos de Portugal, y España... Burdeos: F. Mor, 1781.
- Dalrymple, William. Travels through Spain and Portugal, in 1774; with a short account of the Spanish expedition against Algiers in 1775. London: J. Almon, 1777.
- de Faria e Sousa, Manuel. Epitome de las historias portuguesas: primero i segundo tomo, divididos en quatro partes. Madrid: Coello, 1628.
- Gusta, Francesco. Anecdotes du ministere de Sebastien-Joseph Carvalho, comte d'Oyeras, marquis de Pombal, sous le regne de Joseph I, roi de Portugal. Varsovie [Holland]: Chez Janos Rovicki, 1784.
- Henault, Charles-Jean-François. Abrege chronologique de l'histoire d'Espagne et de Portugal, divise en huit periodes: avec des remarques particulieres a la fin de chaque periode sur le genie, les m≈ìurs, les usages, le commerce, les finances de ces monarchies ; ensemble la notice des princes contemporains, & un precis historique sur les savans & illustres. A Paris: chez Humblot, libraire, rue Saint-Jacques, pres Saint Yves ; Nyon l'aine, libraire, rue Saint-Jean-de-Beauvais ; La Porte, libraire, rue des Noyers, M.DCC.LXXVII. [Jefferson's edition unknown.]
- Juan y Santacilia, Jorge. Dissertation Historique et Géographique sur la Méredien de Demarcation entre les Domaines d'Espagne et de Portugal. Paris: Boudet, 1776.
- Link, Heinrich Friedrich. Voyage en Portugal, depuis 1797 jusqu'en 1799. Paris: Levrault, Schoell et Cgnie, 1803.
- Martínez de la Puente, José. Compendio de las historias de los descubrimientos, conquistas, y guerras de la India Oriental, y sus islas, desde los tiempos del infante don Enrique de Portugal su inventor... Madrid: Viuda de I. Fernandez de Buendia, 1681.
- San Román de Ribadeneyra, Antonio. Historia general de la Yndia Oriental, los descubrimientos, y conquistas, que han hecho las armas de Portugal, en el Brasil, y en otras partes de Africa, y de la Asia... Valladolid: en casa de Luis Sanchez, 1603.
- de Vertot, René Aubert. Histoire de la conjuration de Portugal en 1640. Paris: Chez la veuve d'Edme Martin [etc.] 1689.
- -----. Révolutions de Portugal. Paris: Chez les libraires associés, 1786. [Jefferson's edition unknown.]
