National Archives

 

National Archives

Little Hemp History from Archives.gov....


There are letters and diary entries on planting, harvesting, and processing of hemp from the National Archives. List includes John Adams, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.....


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1763 (1)This is a letter written by Mr. Humphrey Ploughjogger (John Adams) to Boston Evening-Post all about growing hemp.

1763 (2) Entry in diary of John Adams. It is interesting because it has male and female plants reversed. It is just a draft of an essay he was writing to the Boston Gazette, as an answer to Mr. Humphrey Ploughjogger (3) This is actually a very good read and the end is very good talks about treatment of people.


1763 (3) explanation of the Humphrey Ploughjogger letters written by John Adams


1765 (4) George Washington diary or log entry which talks about separating the male from female plants. ** There is an added annotation in the document which mentions George Washington experimenting which variety from India.


1774 (5) Letter from John Adams to the Boston Committee of Correspondence
“Let the united Governments agree, and encourage the raising of Hemp, as much as possible, and procure as many Duck Weavers, and Spinners to Come from Russia, Germany, and Holland as we Judge can be employ’d, by our own Produce of Hemp; and give Encouragement to all sorts of Mecanicks that it’s probable we can employ, to come from England, Ireland, Scotland, and from all other Parts of the European States.”


1775 (6) Letter to George Washington from Charles Carroll which talks about a pamphlet on the proper cultivating and preparing hemp in the colonies.


1777 (7) Letter From Benjamin Franklin to Emma Thompson, this is reference to being in a prison and being put to work beating hemp. Is this a “double entendre” ?


“A month in Bridewell, beating] Hemp upon Bread and Water, would give you Health and Spirits, and subsequent Cheerfulness, and Contentment with every other Situation. I prescribe that Regimen for you my Dear, in pure good Will, without a Fee.”


1780 (8) Letter from John Adams to the President of Congress, also in a pamphlet called “Cool Thoughts, Letters from a Distinguished American, No. 8”
“Timber of every kind, Iron, Saltpetre, Tar, Pitch, Turpentine and Hemp, are raised and manufactured in America. Fields of an hundred thousand acres of Hemp are to be seen spontaneously growing between the Ohio and Mississippi, and of a Quality little inferiour to the European.”


1781 (9) Letter to Thomas Jefferson from David Ross, Used hemp to pay for services because they would not take tobacco.


1784 (10) Letter to John Adams from Baron von Thulemeier, talks about Prussian hemp being the best.


1791 (11) Account of farm in Talbot County, by Alexander Hamilton in George Washington papers
The only value you can compare directly is tobacco and hemp


1792 (12) Letter from Thomas Jefferson to Bowling Clark. Has comparison of hemp and cotton
“I mentioned to you my wish that you would tend hemp and cotton the next year sufficient to clothe the negroes. I think it will require 1000 hills of cotton for every working hand, and 2 or 3 acres of hemp for the whole.”


1793 (13) letter to George Washington from some Russian businessmen, Richard Greenham and Richard Patten. It was asking why we were not growing enough of our own hemp and flax, because we ordered it from Russia.


1793 (14) letter to Thomas Jefferson “cc” George Washington. This letter talks about the fact that the material made from hemp was so much better than linen. It talked about a manufacture of a machine which made the manufacturing of the fiber easier. It also talked about the abundance of hemp in America.


1793 (15) Letter George Washington from James Anderson, talks about the
“I use the freedom also to send a very small specimen of a curious artificial preparation of hemp which comes from silesia in Germany—It is at least a matter of curiosity, as it shews how far the ingenuity of man will go when stimulated with the hope of gain—It had a lustre like silk when I got it—but has been so much handled as to have lost much of its beauty—If it can be afforded at a moderate price it will be a valuable discovery—A gentleman of fortune in England to whom I sent a small specimen—has authorised me to write to Silesia which I have done, to see if the inventor will sell the secret—which if he does he means to publish—It must be a long time before manufactures which owe most of their value to labour, can be introduced with profit into America.”


1794 (16) Letter from George Washington to James Anderson ( James Anderson of Hermiston)
“I thank you as well for the Seeds as for the Pamphlets which you had the goodness to send me. The artificial preparation of Hemp, from Silesia, is really a curiosity; and I shall think myself much favored in the continuance of your correspondence. When I have more leisure than at present, (just at the winding up of a long, laborious & interesting Session of Congress) I may write to you more fully than it is in my power to do under such circumstances, relative to the subjects you have touched upon.”


1794 (17) Letter George Washington from James Anderson, talked about the secret of Silesian hemp manufacture.
“I was empowered by a gentleman in Britain to offer to purchase the secret of the Silesian hemp manufacture, and wrote to that purpose many months (more than a year) ago—but have received no answer.”


1794 (18) Letter From George Washington to William Pearce, talks about the India Hemp being planted at Mt Vernon.
“I cannot with certainty recollect, whether I saw the India hemp growing when I was last at Mount Vernon; but think it was in the Vineyard; somewhere I hope it was sown, and therefore desire that the Seed may be saved in due season & with as little loss as possible: that, if it be valuable, I may make the most of it.”


1794 (19) Letter from George Washington to Howell Lewis or William Pearce, is this cannabis
“I also gave the Gardener a few Seed of East India hemp to raise from, enquire for the seed which has been saved, and make the most of it at the proper Season for Sowing.”


1794 (20) Letter from George Washington to William Pierce, talks about growing India Hemp. This may not be cannabis.


1795 (21) Letter to George Washington from John Coakley Lettsom, talks about Chinese hemp


1796 (22) Letter from George Washington to John Sinclair I do not know if they are talking about cannabis sativa or some other plant when they talk about hemp from New Zealand or the East Indies.
“Certainly no good reason can be assigned why the Hemp of New Zealand should not thrive with us, as that country lyes in about the same Southern latitude—that our middle States do in the Northern. The Hemp of the East Indies grows well here (from my own experience) and I have no doubt of the Tea plant succeeding in So. Carolina & Georgia.”


1796 (23) Letter from George Washington to William Pierce. In this letter he speaks about growing India Hemp because it is better than common hemp. Is this cannabis sativa or something else.
“What was done with the Seed saved from the India Hemp last Summer? It ought, all of it, to have been sown again; that not only a stock of seed sufficient for my own purposes might have been raised, but to have dissiminated the seed to others; as it is more valuable than the common Hemp.”


1809 (24) Letter from John Adams to Henry Guest. This letter talks about getting hemp seeds in Russia, and that John Adams had grown hemp in his garden as an experiment.


1809 (25) Letter from John Adams to Boston Patriot, about the fact we cannot produce enough hemp at a cheap enough price.
“Of hemp, cordage and sail cloth there will not probably be a sufficiency raised in America for her consumption in many centuries, for the plainest of all reasons, because these articles may be imported from Amsterdam, or even from Petersburg and Archangel, cheaper than they can be raised at home. America will therefore be for ages a market for these articles of the Baltic trade.”


1812 (26) Letter from William Thornton to Thomas Jefferson. Talks about the coarseness of Indian Hemp is this different than cannabis or india hemp
“I send you a Specimen which Mr Whitlow left with me, and which by rubbing between the fingers shews a fineness of texture which the Indian Hemp does not possess.—This has not been rotted, and it is the produce of a single Stem.—It was at first longer, but Individuals have taken off pieces as Specimens.—I think very highly of this Discovery.—It is not the Inn Hemp.”


1812 (27) Letter from Thomas Jefferson to James Ronaldson, talks about cotton being cheaper for clothing than hemp or flax.

1815 (28) Letter from Thomas Jefferson to George Fleming which is about a steam powered hemp brake (decortication) but it also talks about hemp growing (“hemp, on the other hand, is abundantly productive and will grow for ever on the same spot.” ) being easier on the land than flax.

1815 (29) Letter from Thomas Jefferson to Charles Willson Peale describes a hemp brake in detail (decoratator)


1820 (30) letter to Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Appleton. Talks about Bologna hemp seed better being better than Russia-hemp seed.
“It is nearly double in length, much finer texture, and white.—the cordage made from it, is much more beautiful, & much stronger, and will resist, at least, one third longer in sea-water.”


1820 (31) Letter To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Appleton, Hemp seeds obtained from Bologna.


1821 (32) letter from Thomas Jefferson to Anthony Dey, talks about a processing hemp (decoration) machine.


1828 (33) Letter to James Madison from James Ronaldson, talking about passing out some hemp seeds acquired from New Zealand. But this was more than likely harakeke plant (Phormium tenax) not cannabis.


1828 (34) Letter to James Madison to James Ronaldson, Talks about New Zealand hemp which I do not know if this is cannabis.

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1> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-01-02-0045-0004
“III. Humphrey Ploughjogger to the Boston Evening-Post, 20 June 1763,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-01-02-0045-0004. [Original source: The Adams Papers, Papers of John Adams, vol. 1, September 1755 – October 1773, ed. Robert J. Taylor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1977, pp. 63–66.]

2> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/01-01-02-0008-0002
“[July 1763],” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/01-01-02-0008-0002. [Original source: The Adams Papers, Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, vol. 1, 1755–1770, ed. L. H. Butterfield. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1961, pp. 245–251.]

3> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-01-02-0045-0001
“Editorial Note,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-01-02-0045-0001. [Original source: The Adams Papers, Papers of John Adams, vol. 1, September 1755 – October 1773, ed. Robert J. Taylor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1977, pp. 58–61.]

4> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/01-01-02-0011-0006
“[August 1765],” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/01-01-02-0011-0006. [Original source: The Diaries of George Washington, vol. 1, 11 March 1748 – 13 November 1765, ed. Donald Jackson. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1976, p. 340.]

5> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-02-02-0053
“From John Adams to the Boston Committee of Correspondence, September 1774,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-02-02-0053. [Original source: The Adams Papers, Papers of John Adams, vol. 2, December 1773 – April 1775, ed. Robert J. Taylor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1977, pp. 178–185.]

6> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/02-10-02-0215
“To George Washington from Charles Carroll of Carrollton, 3 March 1775,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/02-10-02-0215. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Colonial Series, vol. 10, 21 March 1774 – 15 June 1775, ed. W. W. Abbot and Dorothy Twohig. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1995, pp. 287–288.]

7> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-23-02-0188
“From Benjamin Franklin to Emma Thompson, 8 February 1777,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-23-02-0188. [Original source: The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, vol. 23, October 27, 1776, through April 30, 1777, ed. William B. Willcox. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1983, pp. 296–299.]

8> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-09-02-0268
“From John Adams to the President of Congress, No. 84, 16 June 1780,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-09-02-0268. [Original source: The Adams Papers, Papers of John Adams, vol. 9, March 1780 – July 1780, ed. Gregg L. Lint and Richard Alan Ryerson. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1996, pp. 418–427.]

9> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-05-02-0792
“To Thomas Jefferson from David Ross, enclosing Account of Loss of Goods at Petersburg, 16 May 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-05-02-0792. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 5, 25 February 1781 – 20 May 1781, ed. Julian P. Boyd. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1952, pp. 660–661.]

10> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-16-02-0060
“Baron von Thulemeier to John Adams, 25 March 1784,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-16-02-0060. [Original source: The Adams Papers, Papers of John Adams, vol. 16, February 1784–March 1785, ed. Gregg L. Lint, C. James Taylor, Robert Karachuk, Hobson Woodward, Margaret A. Hogan, Sara B. Sikes, Sara Martin, Sara Georgini, Amanda A. Mathews, and James T. Connolly. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2012, pp. 97–102.]

11> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-09-02-0342-0002
“Enclosure: [Account of a Farm in Talbot County], 11 November 1791,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-09-02-0342-0002. [Original source: The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, vol. 9, August 1791 – December 1791, ed. Harold C. Syrett. New York: Columbia University Press, 1965, pp. 492–493.]

12> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-24-02-0370
“From Thomas Jefferson to Bowling Clark, 21 September 1792,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-24-02-0370. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 24, 1 June–31 December 1792, ed. John Catanzariti. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1990, pp. 408–410.]

13> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-13-02-0362
“To George Washington from Richard Greenham and Richard Patten, 25 August 1793,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-13-02-0362. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Presidential Series, vol. 13, 1 June–31 August 1793, ed. Christine Sternberg Patrick. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2007, pp. 539–540.]

14> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-25-02-0232
“To Thomas Jefferson from Tobias Lear, 24 February 1793,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-25-02-0232. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 25, 1 January–10 May 1793, ed. John Catanzariti. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1992, pp. 255–256.]

15> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-13-02-0303
“To George Washington from James Anderson (of Scotland), 15 August 1793,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-13-02-0303. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Presidential Series, vol. 13, 1 June–31 August 1793, ed. Christine Sternberg Patrick. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2007, pp. 455–460.]

16> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-16-02-0107
“From George Washington to James Anderson (of Scotland), 26 May 1794,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-16-02-0107. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Presidential Series, vol. 16, 1 May–30 September 1794, ed. David R. Hoth and Carol S. Ebel. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2011, pp. 124–125.]

17> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-17-02-0167
“To George Washington from James Anderson, 6 December 1794,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-17-02-0167. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Presidential Series, vol. 17, 1 October 1794–31 March 1795, ed. David R. Hoth and Carol S. Ebel. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2013, pp. 242–248.]

18> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-16-02-0392
“From George Washington to William Pearce, 17 August 1794,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-16-02-0392. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Presidential Series, vol. 16, 1 May–30 September 1794, ed. David R. Hoth and Carol S. Ebel. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2011, pp. 573–576.]

19> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-15-02-0026
“From George Washington to Howell Lewis or William Pearce, 6 January 1794,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-15-02-0026. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Presidential Series, vol. 15, 1 January–30 April 1794, ed. Christine Sternberg Patrick. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2009, pp. 34–35.]

20> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-15-02-0210
“From George Washington to William Pearce, 24 February 1794,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-15-02-0210. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Presidential Series, vol. 15, 1 January–30 April 1794, ed. Christine Sternberg Patrick. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2009, pp. 269–271.]

21> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-18-02-0258
“To George Washington from John Coakley Lettsom, 15 July 1795,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-18-02-0258. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Presidential Series, vol. 18, 1 April–30 September 1795, ed. Carol S. Ebel. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2015, pp. 347–348.]

22> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-00077
“From George Washington to John Sinclair, 10 December 1796,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-00077. [This is anEarly Access documentfrom The Papers of George Washington. It is not an authoritative final version.]

23> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-00559
“From George Washington to William Pearce, 29 May 1796,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-00559. [This is anEarly Access documentfrom The Papers of George Washington. It is not an authoritative final version.]

24> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/99-02-02-5426
“From John Adams to Henry Guest, 5 September 1809,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/99-02-02-5426. [This is an Early Access document from The Adams Papers. It is not an authoritative final version.]

25> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/99-02-02-5462
“From John Adams to Boston Patriot, 4 November 1809,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/99-02-02-5462. [This is an Early Access document from The Adams Papers. It is not an authoritative final version.]

26> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-05-02-0020-0001
“William Thornton to Thomas Jefferson, 8 May 1812,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-05-02-0020-0001. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Retirement Series, vol. 5, 1 May 1812 to 10 March 1813, ed. J. Jefferson Looney. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2008, pp. 21–23.]

27> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-05-02-0328
“Thomas Jefferson to James Ronaldson, 11 October 1812,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-05-02-0328. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Retirement Series, vol. 5, 1 May 1812 to 10 March 1813, ed. J. Jefferson Looney. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2008, pp. 384–385.]

28> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-09-02-0193
“Thomas Jefferson to George Fleming, 29 December 1815,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-09-02-0193. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Retirement Series, vol. 9, September 1815 to April 1816, ed. J. Jefferson Looney. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2012, pp. 302–304.]

29> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-08-02-0289
“Thomas Jefferson to Charles Willson Peale, 21 March 1815,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-08-02-0289. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Retirement Series, vol. 8, 1 October 1814 to 31 August 1815, ed. J. Jefferson Looney. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2011, pp. 366–369.]

30> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/98-01-02-1014
“To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Appleton, 15 January 1820,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/98-01-02-1014. [This is anEarly Access documentfrom The Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series. It is not an authoritative final version.]

31> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/98-01-02-1155
“To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Appleton, 18 March 1820,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/98-01-02-1155. [This is anEarly Access documentfrom The Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series. It is not an authoritative final version.]

32> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/98-01-02-2479
“To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Appleton, 18 March 1820,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/98-01-02-1155. [This is anEarly Access documentfrom The Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series. It is not an authoritative final version.]

33> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/99-02-02-1484
“James Ronaldson to James Madison, 28 July 1828,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/99-02-02-1484. [This is anEarly Access documentfrom The Papers of James Madison. It is not an authoritative final version.]

34> https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/99-02-02-1500
“James Madison to James Ronaldson, 6 August 1828,” Founders Online, National Archives, version of January 18, 2019, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/99-02-02-1500. [This is anEarly Access documentfrom The Papers of James Madison. It is not an authoritative final version.]


if you go to www.archives.gov and search hemp (726 document hits, many duplicates).
If you search (ctrl f) for hemp within the documents you will be able to find hemp in the documents.
Compiled by Russ Grim, Grim Farms Inc.