Philip Mazzei was an Italian-born wine merchant, surgeon, and horticulturist. A close friend of Thomas Jefferson, he spoke publicly, promoting Jefferson’s ideals of religious freedom first in churches and later as a pamphleteer. The famous doctrine “all men are created equal” was likely inspired by Mazzei. During the war, Mazzei assisted abroad in Italy, sharing political rumblings and even acquiring weaponry to send back to the Continental Army.