30 Facts About Tobias Lear

Tobias Lear was the personal secretary to President George Washington.

Tobias Lear served third president Thomas Jefferson, as envoy to Saint-Domingue, and as peace envoy in the Mediterranean Sea and North Africa during the First Barbary War and the Second Barbary War.

Tobias Lear was responsible for negotiating a peace treaty with the Bey of Tripoli that ended the first Barbary War.

Tobias Lear began his career by being an apprentice until a family friend, Benjamin Lincoln, recommended him for the job of tutoring Martha Washington's grandchildren and to the post of George Washington's personal secretary, both to which he was hired in 1786.

Tobias Lear was integrated into Washington's house and his post quickly evolved beyond clerk to being Washington's right-hand man, doing whatever Washington needed, such as tutoring, filling out expense reports, and writing letters.

Tobias Lear moved with Washington to New York City in 1789, when Washington became president, and they often dined alone together during his presidency.

Tobias Lear was responsible for filling out Washington's expense reports as president, which Washington had wisely chosen instead of a $25,000 salary, as they turned out to be much more.

In 1793, at the start of Washington's second term, Tobias Lear decided to leave Washington and start out on his own.

Tobias Lear traveled to Europe to sell parcels of land in Washington, DC, but was unsuccessful.

Tobias Lear lost money in this failed venture despite his wealthy partners.

Tobias Lear married Mary Long, his childhood sweetheart, in 1790.

Tobias Lear married again, this time to the young Frances Dandridge Henley.

On one of these errands, Tobias Lear collected rent from one of Washington's tenants, but pocketed the funds.

Washington was furious for at least two days but Tobias Lear apologized and was quickly forgiven.

The next year, Tobias Lear was given the rank of colonel as chief aide to Washington, who had been reappointed by Congress to command the troops during a period when a French attack was feared.

Tobias Lear preferred to be addressed as Colonel Lear for the rest of his life despite the fact that the French never attacked by land and he never faced active duty.

Tobias Lear collected funds for the sale of a business partner's real estate and kept the funds.

Tobias Lear feigned illness for several months before meeting the man and apologizing, confessing and agreeing to reimburse him.

In 1799, Washington unexpectedly died while Tobias Lear was visiting him at Mount Vernon, leading to Tobias Lear's famous diary entry:.

Tobias Lear was to work on a Washington biography with Bushrod Washington, a Washington nephew, who had contacted Tobias Lear about collecting Washington's papers and collaborating on a Washington biography.

Tobias Lear denied destroying any papers in a long letter to Marshall; however, Tobias Lear's own correspondence casts this into doubt.

In conversation with friends over wine, Tobias Lear admitted the existence of the letters but subsequently denied having said such.

Brighton believes that Jefferson requested Tobias Lear to destroy the letters and that Jefferson rewarded Tobias Lear for their destruction for the rest of his life.

Unfortunately, Tobias Lear arrived right before Napoleon Bonaparte was about to clamp down on the slave rebellion there.

Tobias Lear attempted to help the Americans during the ensuing French embargo.

However, with the Louisiana Purchase looming large for Jefferson, Tobias Lear was asked not to irritate the French commanders, and after a suggestion from James Madison, retreated back to Virginia.

Tobias Lear became the primary negotiator for the crew's release in 1805 with the Treaty of Tripoli that ended the First Barbary War in which he was alleged to have mishandled the resolution.

In 1814, Tobias Lear was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society.

On October 11,1816, Tobias Lear apparently committed suicide by shooting himself with a pistol.

Tobias Lear is buried in the Congressional Cemetery, Washington, DC.