1816day.year
Filippo Mazzei
(1730 - 1816)
Italian-American physician and philosopher
Italian-American physician and philosopher
Filippo Mazzei was an Italian-born physician, philosopher, and advocate for liberty who became a close friend of Thomas Jefferson.
Born in 1730 in Tuscany, Mazzei studied medicine at the University of Pisa before emigrating to Virginia in 1773. There he established a successful medical practice and joined the circle of American founding figures, including Thomas Jefferson. He published political essays advocating natural rights, freedom of the press, and democratic principles, which circulated widely in Europe. His 1784 work 'Recherches historiques et politiques sur les États-Unis' offered early European praise for the American experiment. After returning to Europe, Mazzei continued to champion Italian independence and liberal reforms. His correspondence with Jefferson and contributions to Enlightenment thought earned him the title 'Friend of American Liberty.' He died in 1816, remembered for his transatlantic impact on political philosophy.
1816
Filippo Mazzei