The Diary and Letters of Gouverneur Morris

What it is

This is a printed book from 1888, edited by Morris's grandson, that collects the diary and letters of Gouverneur Morris (1752-1816). Morris wrote the original manuscript while serving as the American minister in Paris during the French Revolution. The editor's preface says the aim was to bring out his notes on that period and the parts left out of an earlier history by Jared Sparks.

The book is a long written work in two volumes. Its subjects listed in the library record include the French Revolution, French foreign relations with the United States, and American foreign relations with France.

Why it matters

Morris's diary is a rare eyewitness record of Paris in the early Revolution, written by a foreign diplomat who met political leaders and moved in elite society. Because it includes observations of Lafayette, it shows how an American observer saw the French general and the politics around him. It also shows how the printed record was shaped later, since the editor chose which parts to publish.

Look closer

• What does Morris choose to record in his diary, and what does he seem to think is important?
• Why might a grandson decide to publish these papers in 1888, and what might he have chosen to leave out?
• Whose voice is missing from this account of the Revolution?