In 1781, while he was still governor of Virginia during the Revolutionary War, Thomas Jefferson was asked a series of questions about his beloved state as posed by a diplomat, François Barbé-Marbois, marquis de Barbé-Marbois, on behalf of the French monarchy. Jefferson answered the questions by writing on a series of twenty-three topics, supplementing his own knowledge with that of persons he considered more expert in fields such as the natural sciences. Jefferson’s responses to Barbé-Marbois’s questions were eventually published as Notes on the State of Virginia.