THOMAS'S MASSACHUSETTS SPY OR WORCESTER GAZETTE, July 1, 1801 

* re. Thomas Jefferson's presidential election victory

 Page 3 has an address by the legislature of Rhode Island to the President, congratulating him on being elected President of the United States. It is followed by: "The President's Answer" signed in type: Thomas Jefferson.
Four pages, damp staining near the spine, archival strengthening to a portion of the spine, scattered foxing.

Background: This rare archival find is a masterclass in early American diplomacy, capturing a pivotal moment when the fragile experiment of the United States hung in the balance. Published in the wake of the "Revolution of 1800," this issue of the Massachusetts Spy documents the high-stakes political "handshake" between the fiercely independent Rhode Island Legislature and Thomas Jefferson, the newly elected architect of American liberty. Beyond a mere formality, this exchange represents the cooling of a nation’s partisan fires, featuring Jefferson’s signature rhetoric on constitutional harmony and the protection of minority rights—principles that would come to define the Jeffersonian era. For a collector or historian, this four-page artifact isn't just paper; it is a time capsule of the peaceful transfer of power, a concept that was as radical and breathtaking in 1801 as it is essential today.