| | 1 | Author: | Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Thomas Jefferson, letters to and from various persons, 1791-1840
| | | | Dates: | 1791-1840 | | | | Abstract: | This is a particularly rich collection of Thomas Jefferson’s letters from his retirement years. The letters primarily cover the years 1813-1820s, although there are some from earlier. Most of the letters are outgoing, and L. H. Girardin is the primary recipient. The letters to Girardin often discuss Virginia’s history and sometimes Jefferson’s own recollections of events, including letters on Virginia during the American Revolution and a supposed attempt to create a dictatorship in Virginia in 1776. Some letters also convey information on contemporary events and offer a window into Jefferson’s personal and family life. A few letters from 1791 discuss Jefferson’s memory of Benjamin Franklin, including anecdotes of Franklin in France. One document is a draft of a profile of Baron Humboldt. A series of letters to Peter Du Ponceau discuss Thomas Jefferson’s attempt to acquire a copy of William Byrd’s “A Secret History of the Line” and, once acquired, his interpretation of it. Another portion discusses the journals of Lewis and Clark.
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| | | | Call #: | Mss.B.J35.Le | | | | Extent: | 63.0 Item(s) | | | | Topics: | American Revolution | Colony and State Specific History | Exploration. | Native America | War of 1812 | | | | Genre: | General Correspondence | Political Correspondence | |
| 2 | Author: | Dawes, Elizabeth F.,collector. | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Miscellaneous documents on American history, 1681-1921
| | | | Dates: | 1681-1921 | | | | Abstract: | This is a collection of miscellaneous documents from early America. The earliest documents come from the early 18th century and the latest from the Civil War era. The collection contains a few documents from the revolutionary period, most of which are official governments documents or deal with business transactions. There is one long letter from Robert McPherson, a member of the Pennsylvania Flying Camp, that describes his experience. Perhaps reflecting her ancestral home, the collection contains a small but notable collection of materials from South Carolina, including a very early letter from Francis Le Jau and letters from the Marquis de Lafayette about an expected trip to South Carolina. There are a significant number of documents from Pennsylvania, especially legal documents, from the early republic. The letters from Clement Biddle, a former revolutionary war soldier, also provide insight on early national Indian relations Finally, there are also some significant autographs collected, including a Massachusetts legal form with the signature of John Adams, a letter from James Madison to the Mississippi Territory around the time of the Louisiana Purchase, and letters from Civil War era figures like John Calhoun (a rich letter in which Calhoun discusses his views on tariffs and nullification), James Buchanan, and William Seward.
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| | | | Call #: | Mss.973.D32 | | | | Extent: | 0.25 Linear feet | | | | Topics: | American Revolution | Colony and State Specific History | Early National Politics | Native America | Pennsylvania History | | | | Genre: | Business Records and Accounts | General Correspondence | Miscellaneous | Official Government Documents and Records | | | | Subjects: | Publishers and publishing. | |
| 3 | Author: | Byrd, William, 1674-1744 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | The history of the dividing line between Virginia and North Carolina, 1728
| | | | Dates: | 1728 | | | | Abstract: | The collection of William Byrd’s writings consists of two leather bound, handwritten copies of Byrd’s History of the Dividing Line Run in the Year 1728 (Mss.975.5.B99h) and
A Secret History of the Dividing Line (Mss.975.5.B99s). The former was likely written for public audiences and contains the details of drawing the lines, interactions with Indians, observations of the flora and fauna of the area, the health and culture of settlers, and the official actions of the commissioners. Byrd regularly wrote Peter Collinson, an English scientist, about his journal and his hope that it would be of interest and benefit to a wide audience. The Secret History, on the other hand, contains a wealth of the more personal, private, and often humorous anecdotes of the trip. Neither manuscript was published in Byrd’s lifetime, although both were eventually published.
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| | | | Call #: | Mss.975.5.B99h | | | | Extent: | 1.0 Volume(s) | | | | Topics: | Colony and State Specific History | Exploration. | Native America | Natural History | Surveying and Maps | | | | Genre: | Manuscript Essays | Travel Narratives and Journals | | | | Subjects: | Boundaries, State. | |
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