This is the first Mohawk Prayer Book, and the earliest known book printed in New York in an Indian dialect. The translation of the Book of Common Prayer into the Mohawk language was made originally by the Rev. Bernardus Freeman, who presented a copy to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. In 1712 the Society sent the Rev. William Andrews as a missionary to the Mohawk Indians, and sent with him a copy, with instructions that it should be printed and distributed among the Indians. This was done by Lawrence Claesse, Andrews’ interpreter, who revised the original translation.

On August 3, 1813, the author addressed a letter to Jefferson concerning this book and sent him a copy of his manuscript: “We learn that in Europe, however obscure an author may be, he freely addresses the highest literary adepts; and altho’ he may not possess any previous knowledge of the gentlemen, he runs no risk of incurring the imputation of obtruding. That an indulgence so cheerfully granted in Europe could meet in our Country with the slightest damp, is what my pen would blush to intimate.

"Various considerations have urged me to try my hand at M.S.S., in hopes to acquire that countenance which (often) cannot be sustained without an unwilling dependence on old friends. Friends whose efforts, after all, I have persuaded myself, are not like anything from self which may chance to meet the public approbation; that chance I venture to commit myself to. Vain adventure, Mr. Morse, methinks I hear you exclaim of a Virginian--an obscure man beset with a thousand cares. Well, well, I shall not quarrel with him about that. Mr. Eppes has afforded me the opportunity of what I have so ardently desired, and I am very happy of having one of my M.S.S. submitted to you.

"Your opinion will be esteemed a favor as a recommendation, in which I hope you will unite with me to establish a correct rule for certain plurals; and until that is done to batter down the prejudices of education, if the rule shall have been learnt which is undoubtedly not correct . . .”

Jefferson replied from Monticello on August 17: “ Your letter of the 3 ^d. has been duly recieved. that of m ( ^~ r) Eppes had before come to hand, covering your MS. on the reformation of the orthography of the plurals of nouns ending in y, and ey, and on orthoepy. a change has been long desired in English orthography, such as might render it an easy and true index of the pronuntiation of words. the want of conformity between the combinations of letters, and the sounds they should represent increases to foreigners the difficulty of acquiring the language, occasions great loss of time to children in learning to read, and renders correct spelling rare but in those who read much. in England a variety of plans ”