Found 34 collections related to Politicians

Letters from American politician and lawyer Gideon Granger to various parties relating to business and legal affairs, such as money owed on land purchases. Also present is an 1805 circular letter from Granger addressing charges made against him relating to his actions on behalf of the New England Company, and the Yazoo land scandal less

Letters written by American politician Robert Goodloe Harper between 1798 and 1824, with the bulk written between 1806 and 1823. Letters are generally professional in scope, and include discussions of the capture of the ship "Clyde" in September, 1805; his law practice in Baltimore; and the political climate of Maryland and the United States at large in the early decades of the 19th century. Many letters are addressed to his friend and colleague, Virgil Maxcy less

James Wilkinson (1757-1825) of Maryland was a United States Army officer and first governor of the Louisiana Territory. Wilkinson was implicated in the Burr Conspiracy and resigned from the Army in 1815. He was later appointed U.S. envoy to Mexico and died there in 1825. Suspicions that he had long been an agent of the Spanish government were confirmed after his death. The collection consists chiefly of letters written by Wilkinson to military personnel and politicians, especially at Fort Washington during the Northwest Indian War and later 1790s. Recipients include John Armstrong, 1792; Bartholomew Shaumburg, 1796, David Holmes, 1812, and James Monroe, 1814. Wilkinson’s letter of 1823 April 17, Mexico, to an unidentified correspondent (probably to Thomas Aspinwall, U.S. Consul in London), describes the election of Agustín de Iturbide as emperor of Mexico. Also included is Wilkinson's 1793 bill to the government for expenses of his servants, and an order of payment to James Wilkinson by Joseph Reed, 1781. less

James Alexander Hamilton (1788-1878), the son of Alexander Hamilton, was an American lawyer and politician. He served as United States District Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Collection consists of Hamilton's correspondence, ca. 1820-1867, with John Quincy Adams, Horace Binney, Lewis Cass, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Everett, Hamilton Fish, Washington Hunt, Andrew Jackson, W.C. Rivers, Martin Van Buren, and others. Also, deeds and other legal documents, ca. 1740-1870, relating to land in Manhattan and New York State, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere (some material relates to land owned by Trinity Church, N.Y.); legal documents and correspondence, ca. 1829-1832, relating to the court case of Constant Polani v. District Court of the U.S. for the Southern District of N.Y.; a manuscript of Hamilton's reminiscences of his father; and miscellaneous documents. less

Henry Laurens (1724-1792) was a South Carolina merchant, plantation owner, and Revolutionary-era statesman. The collection of Henry Laurens letters and documents, 1769-1792, includes letters written by him to Lachlan McIntosh, 1769; to his son John Laurens, 1775; to Thomas Wharton, Caesar Rodney and William Alexander while President of the Continental Congress, 1777-1778; and to Benjamin Vaughan, dated 1782 April 2 at Exeter, England, regarding a meeting with Lord Shelburne. An oversize letter to William Carmichael, 1778 February 24, asks for payment of his account with Matthew Lock, written on verso, for sums paid on behalf of the Marquis de Lafayette. Letters to Henry Laurens are chiefly from his former secretary Moses Young, captured with Laurens on their voyage to Holland in 1780, regarding Young’s attempts to obtain payment from Congress for his services. Laurens’s brief notes on his conversation with John Adams at Haarlem on April 15, 1782 (1 page), and two clipped signatures are also present. Items are in chronological order. less

The Provoost (Provost) family, of French Huguenot descent, were early settlers of New Amsterdam. David Provoost (1670-1724) was a merchant and Mayor of the City of New York from 1699 to 1700. His nephew John Provoost (d. 1767) was the son of Samuel Provoost and Mary Spratt Provoost Alexander, prominent New York City merchants, and the stepson of James Alexander, a prominent New York lawyer and politician. The Provoost family papers include a manuscript copy of David Provoost's genealogy of the Provoost family of New Amsterdam (compiled 1724), made by John Provoost in 1742, as well as two letters from John Provoost at Curacao to his parents dated 18 May 1736 and 21 June 1736, concerning shipment and prices of goods, addressed to his stepfather, James Alexander, in New York. Also present are some genealogical notes dated 1785, and a letter from Lucy D. Akerly to a Mr. King, 6 Oct. 1897, loosely laid in, concerning the Provoost family. less

Henry Clay (1777-1852), an American statesman, served as Congressman from Kentucky and Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1811 to 1821 and 1823 to 1825. He was Secretary of State (1825-1829) and Whig Party senator (1831-1842, 1849-1852). Three times, he was the unsuccessful candidate for U.S. President (1824, 1832 and 1844). Collection consists of correspondence and reproductions of paintings and engravings of Clay. Correspondence includes transcriptions of Clay's correspondence, ca. 1800-1852; location of original portraits of Clay; and a few letters from the Clay family. Reproductions of portraits were collected by William S. Hunt for a planned work about Clay. less

Wynant Van Zandt (1767-1831) was a New York City merchant and alderman. He founded the Zion Episcopal Church in Little Neck (now Douglaston), New York. Collection consists of correspondence, accounts, legal records, alderman papers, and family materials. Correspondence, 1787-1828, concerns business, political, family, and personal matters. Van Zandt's correspondence, 1803-1807, when he held public office an an alderman includes topics such as New York City regulations and real estate. Also, accounts, 1784-1820; shipping papers, 1788-1811; miscellaneous legal papers; council resolutions; photograph of portrait of Van Zandt; and family tree. less

John Ten Eyck Lansing, Jr. (1754-1829) was an American lawyer, jurist, and politician. He disappeared under mysterious circumstances in 1829. The John Lansing, Jr. papers consist mainly of letters received from prominent business and legal figures of the day, including Rufus King, Theodore Sedgwick, Stephen and Jeremiah Van Rensselaer, Eilardus Westerlo, and Jellis Fonda. Many letters are from his brother-in-law, Cornelius Ray. Also present are financial and legal documents including wills, indentures, land patents, invoices, and passports relating to members of the Lansing, Livingston, Ray, and Van Rensselaer families less

William Peter Van Ness (1778-1826) of Kinderhook, Columbia County, New York and New York City was a lawyer, U.S. District Court judge, author, and Columbia College graduate. He was active in Democratic-Republican politics and served as Aaron Burr’s second in his duel with Alexander Hamilton. The collection consists of approximately 100 letters, most written to Van Ness at Kinderhook, New York City and elsewhere, from friends, political figures and lawyers, and from his brothers John P. Van Ness and Cornelius P. Van Ness. The bulk date from 1801 to 1819 and concern state and national political affairs, especially party politics in the Hudson River Valley region and New York City, and the electoral strategies of DeWitt Clinton and his supporters. Political appointments or offices for Van Ness and others are also discussed. Correspondents include Peter Irving, Isaac Mitchell, John Swarthout, Matthias B. Tallmadge, Daniel C. Verplanck, and other New Yorkers. Letters from his brother John in Washington, D.C., and a lesser number from Cornelius in New York and Vermont pertain to personal, family and political matters. Van Ness’ relationship with Aaron Burr is seen primarily through John’s letters, questioning his brother’s public support of Burr. A small number of letters written by Van Ness include four to his father Peter Van Ness while a student in New York City, 1795-1796, as well as a letter to Richard Riker, July 17, 1810, accusing Charles Holt of spreading lies, with Holt’s response to Richard Riker. Also present are some undated legal notes and voting tallies. less

Pierre Van Cortlandt, Jr. (1762-1848) was a soldier and politician from Westchester County, New York. He was a U.S. Congressman from 1811-1812 and a brigadier general in the Westchester militia during the War of 1812. His first wife, Catharine Clinton Taylor, was the daughter of George Clinton, governor of New York from 1777 to 1795 and 1801 to 1804, and vice-president under Jefferson and Madison, 1804-1812. Van Cortlandt was the son of Pierre Van Corlandt (1721-1814) who had been the first lieutenant-governor of New York. Collection consists mainly of letters received by Van Cortlandt. Letters concern family, political and personal matters and are from members of the Van Cortlandt family, the Clinton family, as well as political figures. less

James Leander Cathcart (1767-1843) was a seaman, American consul to the Barbary States, and civil servant. He served as a sailor during the American Revolution, was captured first by the British, then by Algerian pirates in 1785 and was sold into slavery in Algeria. After his release from eleven years in captivity, he returned to the Barbary States as consul from the U.S. After his diplomatic service he worked as a clerk in the U.S. Treasury. His oldest son, Charles W. Cathcart (1800-1888) settled in Indiana in 1830 and became a farmer, land speculator and politically active Democrat. He served two terms in the House of Representatives and was appointed to the U.S. Senate. Collection consists of correspondence of James Leander Cathcart and other family members, genealogical notes and printed matter. Correspondence includes Cathcart's letters while a prisoner of and later emissary to the Barbary States, 1785-1806, and letters to his sons after their moves to the Michigan and Indiana Territories, 1827-1844. Also, genealogical information and printed matter concerning the Cathcart family. less

Collection of three letters signed collectively or individually by Richard Penn (approximately 1736-1811) and Arthur Lee (1740-1792) while representing American interests in England. In July 1775, Richard Penn was entrusted by the Second Continental Congress with the delivery of the "Olive Branch Petition" to King George III after contacting colonial agents there, including Arthur Lee. Two letters are addressed to "Hon[ora]ble Sir" (presumably John Hancock, President of Congress) and concern the delivery of the petition to the British government. An autograph letter (4 p.) signed by Arthur Lee at Middle Temple, London, 1775 August 28, describes the delay due to the absence from town of Lord Dartmouth (Secretary of State for the Colonies). Lee shares his views on foreign reaction to American affairs and condemns the character of Thomas Hutchinson and Andrew Oliver, Massachusetts loyalists. A letter (1 p.) signed by Penn and Lee dated London, 1775 September 2, reports on the delivery of the original petition to Lord Dartmouth the previous day. Dartmouth promised to deliver it to the King, but told them "as his Majesty did not receive it on the throne, no answer would be given." Also present is an undated autograph letter (1 p. with integral address leaf) signed by Richard Penn at London to a Mr. Chambers, in which he states "I had rather convince one Honest Man of the Justice of the American Cause than ten Thousand Macaronies," for which purpose he encloses a pamphlet less

Stephen Van Rensselaer (1764-1839) was an American soldier, New York State lieutenant governor, U.S. congressman, and the last patroon of the manor of Rensselaerswyck, near Albany. Letters to Van Rensselaer (1786-1826) and from him (1790-1838) pertain to New York State and U.S. politics, business affairs concerning Rensselaerswyck, and personal and family matters. Family correspondents include Alexander Hamilton, Jr., thanking his uncle for supporting his education, 1806, and brother-in-law William B. Paterson, congratulating Van Rensselaer on the honorable termination of his military career, 1813. A letter from the proprietors of the Rensselaer glass works, 1792, seeks his aid in establishing a reputable tavern to replace numerous "dram shops." Also present are some invoices and checks, including two signed in Paris by Van Rensselaer's son Stephen, 1813. less

Collection consists of signed documents and miscellaneous correspondence, 1770-1831, of Richard Varick (1753-1831), an American attorney, Revolutionary War soldier, politician, and Mayor of the City of New York from 1789-1801. Most items are documents signed by Varick as Recorder of the Mayor’s Court and later as New York City mayor, including land and debtor transactions, orders, and civil appointments. Miscellaneous letters to and from Varick are of a personal, military, legal, or official nature. Revolutionary War documents include letters and vouchers regarding commissary and pay accounts, some handled in his capacity as secretary for General Philip Schuyler and later for General George Washington. Letters to Varick as an attorney at Poughkeepsie, New York in 1783 concern legal matters. Other items pertain to a personal loan to Philip Van Rensselaer, and to land transactions in New Jersey and New York City, signed by Varick or relating to the Varick family. Notable documents include a letter from kinsman A.F. (Alexander Forrester) Cochrane at New York, captain of the British ship Thetis, assuring Varick that there are no impressed American seamen on board, and a letter from E. Bertrand, commander of the French ship Sémillante, seeking the release of a crew member jailed in New York, both dated 1795. An 1830 letter to Philip Hone signed by Varick regrets that he and his aged companions in the Society of the Cincinnati are unable to march in a parade. The collection also includes clipped signatures, an engraved portrait of Varick, a facsimile of a 1797 document, and typed transcriptions of some items. Material is in chronological order. less

George Walton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was an American soldier, lawyer, and judge. He served briefly as a U. S. senator for Georgia in Congress, was Chief Justice of Georgia and also a justice of the Superior Court, and was twice governor of the state. A letter written to Augusta lawyer Seaborn Jones (1759-1815) while a senator at Philadelphia, 16-17 February 1796, discusses matters pending in Congress, including proposed legislation, relations with Native Americans, and foreign treaties. Also present are several legal documents, 1783-1791, signed by Walton as Chief Justice or Superior Court justice, and two clipped signatures. less

Benjamin Walker (born 1753 in London) was an American soldier, land agent, and U.S. representative from New York, 1801-1803. He served as aide-de-camp to Friederich Wilhelm von Steuben and George Washington during the Revolutionary War, and was appointed Naval Officer of Customs for the port of New York in 1789. Walker also worked as a land agent for William Duer and for the Pulteney Estate. He moved to Utica, New York in 1797 where he died in 1818. Letters to and from Benjamin Walker, in chronological order, pertain mostly to land transactions and commissions. Correspondents include Patrick Colquhoun of London and William Duer, referring in part to funding German settlers for Genesee lands in New York. Wartime communications, 1782-1783, include two letters to Captain Pierre-Etienne Du Ponceau. An undated letter in French from Baron von Steuben asks Walker to write a letter in English to the Governor of New Jersey for his signature, and mentions efforts to influence Haring, probably Cornelius Haring, agent of confiscated land in Bergen County. Former Army officer William North advises Walker of the death of a friend, 1806, and an 1820 letter concerns Walker's estate. Other items include a certificate of customs duties paid by the Brig Caroline, signed by Walker in 1795, and a letter from Rufus King concerning the documentation of imports, 1796. less