Letter from William Jackson to William Rawle (1787)

by William Jackson
  • July 07, 1787
Image: William Rawle. West, Benjamin. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WilliamRawle.jpg
According to Jackson, what is the purpose of this letter? Considering the timeline of the Convention, does it seem unusual that delegates would vote on such an action? Why or why not?
Why might the Convention have felt it important to send a formal letter of gratitude to the Library Company of Philadelphia during such a critical time in the proceedings? How does this gesture reflect the broader scope of the Convention beyond internal deliberations?
Constitutional Convention

“William Jackson to William Rawle,” July 7, 1787. In Supplement to Max Farrand's The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787, edited by James H. Hutson. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1987.https://consource.org/document/william-jackson-to-william-rawle-1787-7-7/20130122081702/

In obedience to a vote of the Convention, I do myself the honour to request that you will be pleased to communicate the thanks of that honourable Body to the Directors of the Library Company of Philadelphia1 for their polite attention, expressed in the resolve, which your letter enclosed to His Excellency the President2.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully,

Sir, your obedient humble Servant
W. Jackson Secretary

Footnotes
  1. 1. Founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1731, the Library Company of Philadelphia is the nation’s first lending library, still serving the public today.
  2. 2. Reference most likely to George Washington, who served as president of the Constitutional Convention.
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