A Journey North: Jefferson, Madison, and the Forging of a Friendship

by Louis P. Masur

A storied friendship between two of America's founders--one that endured for fifty years--and the roadtrip that forged it.

Between May 21 and June 16, 1791, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison went on a trip together through Upstate New York and parts of New England on horseback. This "northern journey" came at a moment of tension for the new nation, one in whose founding these Virginians and political allies had played key roles. The Constitution was ratified and President Washington was in his first term of office. Whether the country could overcome regional and political differences and remain unified, however, was still very much in question. Hence why some observers at the time wondered whether this excursion into Federalist New England by the two most prominent southern Democratic-Republicans, both future presidents, had an ulterior motive.

Madison, maintained that the journey was for "health, recreation, and curiosity." He and Jefferson needed a break from their public responsibilities, so off they set. Along the way, they took notes on the ravages of the Hessian Fly, an insect that had been devastating wheat crops. While in Vermont, they focused on the sugar maple tree, which many hoped might offer a domestic alternative to slave-grown sugar cane imports. An encounter with a free Black farmer at Fort George resulted in a journal entry that illuminates their attitudes toward slavery and race. A meeting with members of the Unkechaug tribe on Long Island led to a vocabulary project that preoccupied Jefferson for decades, and which remains relevant today.

The Northern Journey was also about friendship. Madison later recalled that the trip made Jefferson and him "immediate companions," solidifying a bond with almost no peer in the annals of American history, one that thrived for fifty years. Jefferson declared at the end of his life, that his friendship with Madison had been "a source of constant happiness" to him. This book reveals the moment when it took hold.

Genres: Biography

181 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2025

Reviews

[Christopher Cerone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice breezy read with some interesting anecdotes from Jefferson and Madison leading up to and during their visit together to the northeast in 1791. This must be one of the most famous traveling companions of all time but little known. The author brings the travelers and their sojourn to life but not adequately. There is sparse detail, perhaps reflecting limited available information, though Madison kept a journal and Jefferson wrote letters throughout the trip. The result is an overly detailed set up to the visit, including their relationship, the political turmoil of the time, and unnecessarily detailed historical digressions. Context is always important, but it is overkill in the book and comes across as glorified filler material. It would have been nice to learn more about their encounters with local citizens and visits to famous battlefields, as well as their bilateral interactions along the way, rather than painstaking detail about Jefferson’s maniacal interest in the pesky Hessian Fly and their fascination with Vermont sugar maple. Nevertheless, there are notable moments in the book, e.g., Jefferson’s chronicling words from Indian languages (including helping to preserve the Unkechaug Nation language), an encounter with a freed black slave, and their views on Lake George (which Jefferson called the “most beautiful water he has ever seen”), which make the short book a good easy read.

[Chris Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pleasant and entertaining book that uses a trip taken by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in May-June 1791. Professor Masur covers the trip in some detail, but more importantly, uses it to introduce various vignettes that cover everything from discussions of slavery to the 'Hessian' fly to the maple syrup industry, among others. It is filled with informative studies dealing with Indian linguistics, geography, botany, politics, and relationships, among others. It is obvious that the author has spent a great deal of time in the letter archives of the two subjects. It is an interesting and worthy read.