The Wolf Law Library at William & Mary Law School

The Wolf Law Library at William & Mary Law School Academic law library serving the students, faculty, and staff of William & Mary Law School.

Did you know that Homer was George Wythe's favorite author? He had multiple copies of 'The Odyssey' including a 1752 tra...
08/19/2026

Did you know that Homer was George Wythe's favorite author? He had multiple copies of 'The Odyssey' including a 1752 translation by English poet Alexander Pope. In honor of the new film, we offer a few illustrations from Pope's version of Homer's epic. https://wythepedia.wm.edu/index.php?title=Odyssey_of_Homer

On July 17, 1806, Thomas Jefferson wrote to George Wythe's executor, William DuVal, offering to purchase various items f...
07/15/2026

On July 17, 1806, Thomas Jefferson wrote to George Wythe's executor, William DuVal, offering to purchase various items from Wythe's estate, including a watch and seal. https://wythepedia.wm.edu/index.php?title=Jefferson-DuVal_Correspondence ,_17_July_1806

Jefferson also asked to borrow a silhouette of Wythe that had been given to Wythe's housekeeper and former slave, Lydia Broadnax. He sent the image to Charles Wilson Peale to have the artist copy it and embellish the copy with features and tints. Peale's version, most likely based on a William Bache silhouette, is not known to still exist. https://wythepedia.wm.edu/index.php?title=Jefferson-Peale_Correspondence

A lawyer, teacher and judge, George Wythe also spent more than 30 years as a politician. He served in various offices in...
07/08/2026

A lawyer, teacher and judge, George Wythe also spent more than 30 years as a politician. He served in various offices in colonial Virginia including clerk of the House of Burgesses, interim Attorney General, and mayor of Williamsburg.

Wythe represented Virginia in the Second Continental Congress and later in the Constitutional Convention. He also served the Commonwealth as the second Speaker of the House of Delegates. https://wythepedia.wm.edu/index.php?title=Wythe_the_Politician (Thanks to our intern, Charlie, for writing the Wythe the Politician page!)

Early July 1776 - where is George Wythe? Not in Philadelphia working on the Declaration of Independence, he's back in Wi...
07/01/2026

Early July 1776 - where is George Wythe? Not in Philadelphia working on the Declaration of Independence, he's back in Williamsburg contributing to the debates regarding Virginia's new constitution and government. There's even a question about whether Wythe actually signed the Declaration when he returned to Philadelphia later that summer: https://wythepedia.wm.edu/index.php?title=Declaration_of_Independence

We do know Jefferson sent Wythe a draft which is believed to be the draft now at the New York Public Library. https://wythepedia.wm.edu/index.php?title=Wythe%27s_Lost_Papers

in 1806, The Richmond Enquirer published a small notice stating that the General Court of Virginia had elected to wear...
06/24/2026

in 1806, The Richmond Enquirer published a small notice stating that the General Court of Virginia had elected to wear black arm bands for three months, in memory of George Wythe, who died on June 8th. https://wythepedia.wm.edu/index.php?title=Virginia,_June_General_Court,_1806

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