Also the whole of his Slaves amounting to 57 in number.
This sentence really shows the dichotomy of the present and the past. It is clearly demonstrated that the slaves are not seen as people, but are instead seen as property. The word "also," while being used to show the end of a list, also subtly says that slaves are afterthoughts, even when speaking of properties.
The 1st. duty enjoined on them was to enquire & report a site in some convenient & proper part of the state for an University, to be called the “University of Virginia.”
I find it very intriguing that the very first task of the commissioners was to look for a site for the school, rather than going over the ideals, values, and goals that are mentioned later on in the report. I read that Jefferson wanted the site to be so beautiful and the school to gain such notoriety that people from even out of state would "drink of the cup of knowledge". Having the physical site in mind could have given the commissioners the motivation and inspiration to set values for the future university.
The board of Trustees of Washington College have also proposed to transfer the whole of their funds, viz, 100 shares in the funds of the James River company. 31 acres of land on which all their buildings stand.
This really stood out to me. I may be wrong, but it seems as if the administration of Washington College (currently Washington and Lee) proposed the absorption of the school into the new UVA school system. For a school that seems now to pride itself on its independence, it's funny to think that they very well could have ended up as part of the University.
Spanish is highly interesting to us, as the language spoken by so great a portion of the inhabitants of our Continents, with whom we shall possibly have great intercourse ere long; and is that also in which is written the greater part of the early history of America.
This is a perfect example of the "pan-american" independence movement many of the founders envisioned for all of the western hemisphere. It is often forgotten that many Americans hoped that our revolution would inspire the other colonies in North and South America to revolt as well. Eventually most of them did, but not as soon as Jefferson or the rest of the founders expected. The line "with whom we shall possibly have great intercourse ere long" and the reference to "our Continents" shows their hopefulness for a free and allied America. It is no coincidence that for many years South American flags were flown alongside that of the United States on July 4th.