| Abstrakt: |
During the War of 1812 invading British forces burned portions of the city of Washington, including the capitol building, which, in those days, housed the Library of Congress. In 1987 Charles Goodrum wrote a novel, 'The Best Cellar,' in which he postulates that the library did not burn and that the purchase of Thomas Jefferson's library as a replacement was a ruse to help pay the former president's debts. The author identifies the US documents relevant to the case, noting the relationship of the documents, the 1814 destruction of the Library of Congress, and the acquisition by Congress of Thomas Jefferson's personal library. Goodrum's interpretation of the events is questioned, and an alternate hypothesis proposed. In his reply, the author of 'The Best Cellar' recounts the documentary evidence that led to his fictional treatment of the incident, including the glaring absence of contemporary references to the destruction of the library. |
