Primary sourceLetter1802
To Brother Handsome Lake
Thomas Jefferson · 1802
An 1802 letter from Thomas Jefferson to the Seneca prophet Handsome Lake, reflecting his diplomacy with Native American leaders.
Jefferson wrote this letter as president, showing his diplomatic approach toward Native American leaders.
About this source
What it is
This is a letter written by Thomas Jefferson addressed to Handsome Lake, a Seneca prophet and leader, in 1802.
Why it matters
The letter shows how Jefferson, as U.S. president, communicated with Native American leaders. Its paternal and assimilationist tone reflects the attitudes of the U.S. government toward Native nations at the time, and reveals much about the power dynamics between Jefferson's government and Native peoples like Handsome Lake and the Seneca.
Look closer
- What words or phrases suggest how Jefferson viewed his relationship with Handsome Lake?
- Why might Jefferson have addressed Handsome Lake as he did?
- What does this letter leave out about Handsome Lake's own views or responses?
This letter is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Thomas Jefferson on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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