June 28: The Italian Egalitarian

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Today is June 28th, and our story is The Italian Egalitarian. History remembers Thomas Jefferson as the author of American Liberty. He earned that title for penning the Declaration of Independence, which he submitted to the Continental Congress on June 28, 1776. But, as then-Senator John F. Kennedy wrote in his 1958 book A Nation of Immigrants, no one man can take complete credit for the ideal of American democracy.

History agrees, and has given at least some credit for the Declaration to Jefferson's editors, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. George Mason, George Washington, and Thomas Ludwell Lee, who authored other founding documents from which Jefferson drew inspiration, have also received thanks. In his book, however, Kennedy argued that history still needed to acknowledge one other man, Philip Mazzei. Born in Tuscany and educated in Florence, Mazzei moved to London as a young man. There, he ran a successful import business for almost two decades, until, in the early 1770s, he met Franklin.

At his urging, the Catholic Mazzei came to America in 1773 and taught Virginia's planters how to cultivate vineyards. While in Virginia, Mazzei settled on a plantation near Jefferson's. The two became friends and corresponded regularly about politics and philosophy.

In Mazzei's letters, Jefferson found a phrase he would later borrow for the Declaration of Independence, all men are created equal. Although not an exact quote, which would be difficult as he and Jefferson corresponded in Italian, both Kennedy in his 1958 book and the U.S. Congress in 1994 recognized that fundamental phrase as originating in Mazzei's writing.

Those words weren't Mazzei's only contributions to the cause of liberty. He later served as an emissary for Virginia in Italy and helped smuggle arms to the Continental Army. His words to Jefferson, however, remain his most enduring contribution. To honor him for that, the U.S. government issued a commemorative stamp in 1980 that bore Mazzei's image and the words he first wrote to Jefferson, All men are by nature equally free and independent.

Mazzei reminds us that history is often a tapestry woven by many hands. Quiet contributors can shape world-changing ideals, and even behind the scenes, steadfast commitment to truth and justice can leave a permanent mark on human freedom and collective conscience.

Reflect on ways your talents or knowledge can contribute to justice, equality, or the common good today. Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader Podcast. Join us tomorrow, June 29th, for another story of faith and courage in America.