Thomas Jefferson 
Notes on the State of Virginia 

'Notes on the State of Virginia’ was the only full-length book by Thomas Jefferson published during his lifetime. Having been first published anonymously in a private printing in Paris in 1784, 'Notes on the State of Virginia’ was later made available to the general public in a 1787 printing in England. Considered one of the most important American books published before the turn of the 19th century, the book deals extensively with important political, legal, and constitutional principles such as the separation of church and state, constitutional government, checks and balances, and individual liberty. 'Notes on the State of Virginia’ is essentially a discussion of what constitutes 'good society’, which Jefferson believed Virginia to be an example of. Filled with an extensive compilation of data this work represents an important primary source from one the most important American figures to ever have lived.