Filippo Mazzei (, but sometimes erroneously cited with the name of Philip Mazzie;

Poggio a Caiano Poggio a Caiano is a town and '' comune'' in the province of Prato, Tuscany region Italy. The town, birthplace of Philip Mazzei, lies south of the provincial capital of Prato. Sister towns Poggio a Caiano has two sister cities: * Charlott ...

, December 25, 1730 –

Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the ci ...

, March 19, 1816) was an Italian physician, winemaker, and arms dealer. A close friend of

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...

, Mazzei acted as an agent to purchase arms for

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

Biography

Mazzei was born Filippo Mazzei in

(

Prato Prato ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Italy, the capital of the Province of Prato. The city lies in the north east of Tuscany, at the foot of Monte Retaia, elevation , the last peak in the Calvana chain. With more than 200,000 ...

) in

Tuscany it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Citizenship , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = Italian , demogra ...

as a son of Domenico and Elisabetta. He studied medicine in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...

and practiced in Italy and the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

for several years before moving to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in 1755 to take up a mercantile career as an importer. In London he worked as a teacher of Italian language. While in London he met the Americans

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading int ...

and

of Virginia. While doing work for Franklin, Mazzei shared his idea of importing Tuscan products, wine and olive trees, to the New World. They convinced him to undertake his next venture. On September 2, 1773, Mazzei boarded a ship from Livorno to Virginia bringing with him plants, seeds, silkworms, and 10 farmers from

Lucca Lucca ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its province has a population of 383,957. Lucca is known as one ...

. While visiting Jefferson at his estate, the two became good friends and Jefferson gave Mazzei a large allotment of land for an experimental plantation. Mazzei and Jefferson started what became the first commercial vineyard in the Commonwealth of Virginia. They shared an interest in politics and liberal values, and maintained an active correspondence for the rest of Mazzei's life. In 1779 Mazzei returned to Italy as a secret agent for Virginia. He purchased and shipped arms to them until 1783. After briefly visiting the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

again in 1785, Mazzei travelled throughout Europe promoting

republic A republic () is a " state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th ...

an ideals. He wrote a political history of the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

, ''Recherches historiques et politiques sur les États-Unis de l'Amerique septentrionale'', and published it in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

in 1788. After its publication Mazzei became an unofficial roving ambassador in Europe for American ideas and institutions. While in the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi-confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Crown of the Kingdom of ...

he became attached as a Privy Councilor at the court of King Stanislaus II. There he became acquainted with Polish liberal and constitutional thought, like the works of

Wawrzyniec Grzymała Goślicki Wawrzyniec is a Polish masculine given name. Notable people with the name include: * Wawrzyniec Cyl (1900-1974), Polish footballer * Wawrzyniec Grzymała Goślicki (circa 1530-1607), Polish nobleman * Wawrzyniec Mitzler de Kolof Lorenz Christo ...

and ideas of

Golden Freedoms Golden Liberty ( la, Aurea Libertas; pl, Złota Wolność, lt, Auksinė laisvė), sometimes referred to as Golden Freedoms, Nobles' Democracy or Nobles' Commonwealth ( pl, Rzeczpospolita Szlachecka or ''Złota wolność szlachecka'') was a pol ...

and Great Sejm. King Stanislaus appointed Mazzei to be Poland's representative in Paris, where he again met Jefferson. After Poland was partitioned between

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

and

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...

in 1795, Mazzei, along with the rest of the Polish court, was given a pension by the Russian crown. He later spent more time in France, becoming active in the politics of the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

under the Directorate. When

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

overthrew that government Mazzei returned to

Pisa, Italy Pisa ( , or ) is a city and '' comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...

. He died there in 1816. After his death the remainder of his family returned to the United States at the urging of Jefferson. They settled in Massachusetts and Virginia; Mazzei's daughter married a nephew of

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...

. He was buried at the Suburbano Cemetery in Pisa.

Mazzei letter

Many biographers believe Jefferson and

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

had a falling out over a letter Jefferson sent to Mazzei in Italy, which called the

Washington Administration The presidency of George Washington began on April 30, 1789, when Washington was inaugurated as the first president of the United States, and ended on March 4, 1797. Washington took office after the 1788–1789 presidential election, the ...

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of t ...

monarchical A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state for life or until abdication. The political legitimacy and authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutional monarchy) ...

, and aristocratical," and claimed that Washington had appointed as military officers "all timid men that prefer the calm of despotism to the boisterous sea of liberty ... would give you a fever were I to name to you the apostates who have gone over to these heresies, men who were

Samson Samson (; , '' he, Šīmšōn, label= none'', "man of the sun") was the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges (chapters 13 to 16) and one of the last leaders who "judged" Israel before the institution o ...

s in the field and

Solomon Solomon (; , ),, ; ar, سُلَيْمَان, ', , ; el, Σολομών, ; la, Salomon also called Jedidiah (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Modern Hebrew, Modern: , Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yăḏīḏăyāh'', "beloved of Yahweh, Yah"), ...

s in the council, but who have had their heads shorn by the harlot England." The letter was eventually published overseas and then re-translated back into English by

Noah Webster Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible ( Book of Genesis, chapters ...

and published in the United States.

Acknowledgment

The contribution of Philip Mazzei to the

U.S. Declaration of Independence The United States Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America, is the pronouncement and founding document adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at Pennsylvania State House (l ...

was acknowledged by John F. Kennedy in his book '' A Nation of Immigrants'', in which he states that:

Legacy

A 40-cent United States airmail stamp was issued in 1980 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Mazzei's birth. The

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

Liberty Ship Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Though British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost construction. Ma ...

was named in his honor.

References

Mazzei's writings

In English

Philip Mazzei. ''My Life and Wanderings.'' Translated by S. Eugene Scalia. Edited by Margherita Marchione. Morristown, NJ: American Institute of Italian Studies, 1980. .

In French

* Filippo Mazzei: ''Recherches Historiques et Politiques sur les Etats-Unis de l'Amérique Septentrionale'' (Historical and Political Enquiries Concerning the United States of North America). Four Volumes. * Filippo Mazzei, Stanisław August Poniatowski, ''Lettres de Philippe Mazzei et du roi Stanislas-Auguste de Pologne.'', Roma : Istituto storico italiano per l'età moderna e contemporanea, 1982

In Italian

* Filippo Mazzei: ''Memorie della vita e delle peregrinazioni del fiorentino Filippo Mazzei''. a cura di Gino Capponi, Lugano, Tip. della Svizzera Italiana, 1845–1846, 2 volumes * Filippo Mazzei: ''Del commercio della seta fatto in Inghilterra dalla Compagnia delle Indie Orientali (manoscritto inedito di Filippo Mazzei – 1769)'' a cura di Silvano Gelli, Poggio a Caiano, Comune di Poggio a Caiano, 2001.

Sources

In English

* Philip Mazzei: ''My Life and Wanderings'', ed. Marchione, Sister Margherita, American Institute of Italian Studies, Morristown, NJ, 1980, 437pp. Translation to English of Mazzei's autobiography * Marchione: Philip Mazzei: ''Selected Writings and Correspondence'': :* Vol. I – ''Virginia's Agent during the American Revolution'', XLVIII, 585 pp.; :* Vol. II – ''Agent for the King of Poland during the French Revolution'', 802 pp.; :* Vol. III – ''World Citizen'', 623 pp. :Cassa di Risparmi e Depositi, Prato, 1983. * Marchione, Sister Margherita: ''Philip Mazzei: Jefferson's "Zealous Whig",'' American Institute of Italian Studies, Morristown, NJ, 1975, 352 pp. * Marchione: The Adventurous Life of Philip Mazzei – La vita avventurosa di Filippo Mazzei (bilingue inglese – italiano), University Press of America, Lanham, MD, 1995, 235 pp. * Marchione: ''The Constitutional Society of 1784'', Center for Mazzei Studies, Morristown, NJ, 1984, 49 pp. * Marchione: ''Philip Mazzei: World Citizen (Jefferson's "Zealous Whig")'', University Press of America, Lanham, MD, 1994, 158 pp. *Renee Critcher Lyons: Foreign-Born American Patriots-Sixteen Volunteer Leaders In The Revolutionary War, 2014. North Carolina-McFarland Publishing

In Italian

* Filippo Mazzei: ''Scelta di scritti e lettere:'' :*Vol.I: 1765–1788. ''Agente di Virginia durante la rivoluzione americana''; pp. XLVII–582 :*Vol.II:1788–1791. ''Agente del Re di Polonia durante la Rivoluzione Francese''; pp. XVI–703, XVII–633 :*Vol.III: 1792–1816. ''Cittadino del Mondo''; pp. XVII–633 :Prato, 1984, Ediz.del Palazzo per Cassa di Risparmi e Depositi di Prato. * Marchione, Sister Margherita: ''Istruzioni per essere liberi ed eguali'', Cisalpino-Gogliardica, Milan, 1984, 160 pp * Marchione: ''The Adventurous Life of Philip Mazzei - La vita avventurosa di Filippo Mazzei'' (bilingue inglese – italiano), University Press of America, Lanham, MD, 1995, 235 pp

Others books about Mazzei

In English

* Biaggi, Mario: ''An Appreciation of Philip Mazzei – an Unsung American Patriot'', in CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Washington, D.C., September 12, 1984 * Di Grazia, Marco: ''Philip Mazzei, a hero of American independence. Illustrations and cover Marcello Mangiantini, translation Miranda MacPhail'' Tuscan Regional Government, Poggio a Caiano. nessuna data, circa 1990, 52p * Gaines, William H.: ''Virginia History in Documents 1621-1788'', Virginia State Library, Richmond, 1974 * Garlick, Richard, Jr: ''Philip Mazzei, Friend of Jefferson: His Life and letters'', Baltimore-London-Paris, The Johns Hopkins Press-Humphrey Nilfort Oxford University Press – Société d'Editions Les Belles Lettres, 1933 * Garlick: ''Italy and the Italians in Washington's time'', New York Arno Press, 1975 * Guzzetta, Charles: ''Mazzei in America'', in DREAM STREETS – THE BIG BOOK OF ITALIAN AMERICAN CULTURE, Lawrence DiStasi editor, Harper & Row, New York, 1989 * Kennedy, John F.: '' A Nation of Immigrants'', Harper & Row, New York, 1964 * Lippucci, Mary Theresa: ''The correspondence between Thomas Jefferson and Philip Mazzei, 1779–1815'' * Malone, Dumas (editor): ''Dictionary of American Biography, VOL. VI'', Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1933 * Marraro, Howard R.: ''An Unpublished Jefferson Letter to Mazzei'', Italica, Vol. 35, No. 2 (June 1958), pp. 83–87 * Marraro: ''Jefferson Letters Concerning the Settlement of Mazzei's Virginia Estate'', The Mississippi Valley Historical Review, Vol. 30, No. 2 (September 1943), pp. 235–242 * Marraro: ''Philip Mazzei - Virginia's Agent in Europe'', New York Public Library, 1935 * Marraro: ''Philip Mazzei and his Polish friends'' sn,1944? * Sammartino, Peter: ''The Contributions of Italians to the United States before the Civil War: a conference to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Philip Mazzei, Washington, D.C., April 18–20, 1980'', Washington, D.C., National Italian American Foundation, 1980. * Schiavo, Giovanni Ermenegildo: ''Philip Mazzei: one of America's founding fathers'', New York: Vigo Press, 1951 * Masini, Giancarlo, Gori, Iacopo: ''How Florence Invented America - Vespucci, Verrazzano, Mazzei and their Contributions to the Conception of the New World'', New York: Marsilio Publishers, 1999.

In Italian

* AA.VV., ''Dalla Toscana all'America: il contributo di Filippo Mazzei'', Poggio a Caiano, Comune di Poggio a Caiano, 2004. * Becattini Massimo, ''Filippo Mazzei mercante italiano a Londra (1756–1772)'', Poggio a Caiano, Comune di Poggio a Caiano, 1997. * Bolognesi Andrea, Corsetti Luigi, Di Stadio Luigi: ''Filippo Mazzei mostra di cimeli e scritti'', catalogo della mostra a cura di, Poggio a Caiano, palazzo Comunale, 3-25 luglio 1996, Comune di Poggio a Caiano, 1996. * Camajani Guelfo Guelfi,''Filippo Mazzei : un illustre toscano del Settecento : medico, agricoltore, scrittore, giornalista, diplomatico'', Firenze, Associazione Internazionale Toscani nel Mondo, 1976. * Ciampini Raffaele, ''Lettere di Filippo Mazzei alla corte di Polonia (1788–1792)'', Bologna : N. Zanichelli, 1937 * Corsetti Luigi, Gradi Renzo: ''Bibliografia su Filippo Mazzei Avventuriero della Libertà" a cura di, con scritti di Margherita Marchione e Edoardo Tortarolo, Poggio a Caiano, C.I.C Filippo Mazzei – Associazione Culturale "Ardengo Soffici", 1993. * Di Stadio Luigi, ''Filippo Mazzei tra pubblico e privato. Raccolta di documenti inediti", a cura di, Poggio a Caiano, Biblioteca Comunale di Poggio a Caiano, 1996. * Gerosa Guido, ''Il fiorentino che fece l'America. Vita e avventure di Filippo Mazzei 1730–1916'', Milano, SugarCo Edizioni, 1990. * Gradi Renzo, ''Un bastimento carico di Roba bestie e uomini in un manoscritto inedito di Filippo Mazzei'', Poggio a Caiano, Comune di Poggio a Caiano, 1991. * Gradi Renzo, ''Parigi: luglio 1789. Scritti e memorie del fiorentino Filippo Mazzei'', a cura di, Comune di Poggio a Caiano, 1989. * Gullace Giovanni, ''Figure dimenticate dell'indipendenza americana, Filippo Mazzei e Francesco Vigo'', Roma : Il Veltro, 1977. * Masini Giancarlo, Gori Iacopo, ''L'America fu concepita a Firenze'', Firenze : Bonechi, 1998 * Tognetti Burigana Sara, ''Tra riformismo illuminato e dispotismo napoleonico; esperienze del "cittadino americano" Filippo Mazzei'', Roma, Edizioni di Storia e letteratura, 1965. * Tortarolo Edoardo, ''Illuminismo e Rivoluzioni. Biografia politica di Filippo Mazzei'', Milano, Angeli, 1986. * Łukaszewicz, Witold, ''Filippo Mazzei, Giuseppe Mazzini; saggi sui rapporti italo-polacchi'', Wroclaw, Poland Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich, 1970.

External links

www.philipmazzei.us Official site

Philip Mazzei ''Encyclopædia Britannica''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mazzei, Philip 1730 births 1816 deaths People from the Province of Prato Grand Duchy of Tuscany people Italian expatriates in the United States Italian philosophers 18th-century Italian philosophers Italian political writers Italian emigrants to the United States Italian people of the American Revolution 18th-century Italian physicians Patriots in the American Revolution Political philosophers American spies during the American Revolution

Biography

Mazzei letter

Acknowledgment

Legacy

See also

References

Mazzei's writings

In English

In French

In Italian

Sources

In English

In Italian

Others books about Mazzei

In English

In Italian

External links