Hamilton, Alexander, 1757-1804
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 1297
.25 linear feet (1 box)
Alexander Hamilton (1754-1804) was a Founding Father, soldier, lawyer and statesman. He served as the first United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1789 to 1795. The Alexander Hamilton papers, dated 1775-1804, primarily consist of letters and...
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Alexander Hamilton (1754-1804) was a Founding Father, soldier, lawyer and statesman. He served as the first United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1789 to 1795. The Alexander Hamilton papers, dated 1775-1804, primarily consist of letters and documents either written or signed by Alexander Hamilton, and pertain to his career as a soldier, lawyer, statesman and United States Secretary of the Treasury. Autograph letters, drafts and copies of letters sent by Hamilton concern his Revolutionary War service, chiefly as an aide-de-camp to General George Washington; his legal practice in New York; and financial and political matters. Notable items include Hamilton’s letters to President Washington, dated 1796, concerning the writing of Washington’s Farewell Address to the nation, with a draft of the Address written by Hamilton for Washington’s consideration. Documents include his 1782 appointment as Receiver of Continental Taxes in New York, legal documents relating to his law practice and personal estate, and legal notes and other items in his hand. Treasury Department letters are chiefly manuscript or printed circular letters which are not in Hamilton’s handwriting but bear his autograph signature.
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Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 1109
211 linear feet (368 boxes, 153 volumes, 12 oversized folders)
The collection consists chiefly of papers of members of the Gansevoort, Lansing and Melville families and reflects the social, business, and political interests of the families, their friends and associates. Also included are some papers of...
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The collection consists chiefly of papers of members of the Gansevoort, Lansing and Melville families and reflects the social, business, and political interests of the families, their friends and associates. Also included are some papers of members of the Sanford, Van Schaick and other prominent families of the Hudson and Mohawk Valley areas of New York State. The papers include accounts, correspondence, maps, and land, court, and military records, as well as personal collections of photographs and artifacts documenting the families' history. Notable individuals represented int the collection are Revolutionary War officer Peter Gansevoort, Jr. (1749-1812), his son Peter Gansevoort (1788-1876), a New York State Assemblyman, Senator, and Judge Advocate General, Henry Sanford Gansevoort (1835-1871), Union officer in the Civil War, and author Herman Melville.
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Schuyler, Philip John, 1733-1804
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 2701
19.79 linear feet (55 boxes, 17 volumes, 15 oversized folders)
Philip John Schuyler (1733-1804), a Revolutionary War general and statesman, was a prominent member of the landed aristocracy of New York State. The collection consists of correspondence, accounts, military records, land records, and other papers...
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Philip John Schuyler (1733-1804), a Revolutionary War general and statesman, was a prominent member of the landed aristocracy of New York State. The collection consists of correspondence, accounts, military records, land records, and other papers documenting Schuyler's military, political and business activities and, to a lesser extent, his family affairs. Correspondence, 1761-1804, is with military officers, members of the Continental Congress, committees of safety, and family, and concerns the conduct of the Revolutionary War in the Northern Department, 1775-1777, and political and personal matters. Indian papers, 1710-1797, contain Schuyler's papers as Commissioner of Indian Affairs in the Northern Department during the war and as agent of New York State. Canal papers, 1792-1803, include correspondence, diaries, reports, surveys, accounts, and other papers relating to the construction of canals in New York. His papers as Surveyor General of New York State, 1773-1788, and other public papers, circa 1775-1796, consist of correspondence, receipts, drafts of legislation and proposals, building plans, and other papers. Financial papers, 1711-1805, estate papers, 1752-1828, and land papers, 1705-1864, pertain to business activities and land holdings of Schuyler and family. Family papers, 1772-1851, contain correspondence and other papers of Schuyler family members. Military papers, 1775-1779, comprise Revolutionary War materials that were neither generated nor received directly by Schuyler.
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Morris, Robert, 1734-1806
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 2066
1.1 linear feet (4 boxes, 1 oversized folder)
Robert Morris (1734-1806) was a Founding Father of the United States, a businessman, and statesman. As a Philadelphia merchant, Morris helped to finance the American Revolution with the wealth he acquired through his real estate and shipping...
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Robert Morris (1734-1806) was a Founding Father of the United States, a businessman, and statesman. As a Philadelphia merchant, Morris helped to finance the American Revolution with the wealth he acquired through his real estate and shipping business. He was one of the rare Founding Fathers to have signed all three of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution. The Robert Morris papers, dated 1751-1802, consist of correspondence, financial and legal papers. The correspondence pertains mostly to Morris's business affairs. Other letters concern his Revolutionary War activities, his service as Superintendent of Finance of the United States and as Chairman of the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety, and some personal matters. The financial and legal papers include receipts, accounts, stock certificates, and land records.
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Knox, Henry, 1750-1806
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 1661
.1 linear feet (1 folder)
Henry Knox (1750-1806), United States Army general, was chief artillery officer of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, and first United States Secretary of War from 1789 to 1794. The Henry Knox papers consist of letters sent by Knox...
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Henry Knox (1750-1806), United States Army general, was chief artillery officer of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, and first United States Secretary of War from 1789 to 1794. The Henry Knox papers consist of letters sent by Knox to military officers and government officials on various matters, as well as a few personal letters and miscellaneous military documents. The bulk of the letters are written in his capacity as Secretary of War, mainly to state governors and U.S. Commissioners of Loans in several states. These concern strengthening frontier defense, pension payments to invalid soldiers, and instructions on naval matters such as the repatriation of prizes seized by proscribed privateers and maintaining the embargo of 1794. Letters written during the Revolutionary War, chiefly to Army Quartermaster General Timothy Pickering, concern requests for ordnance, horses and drivers, and payroll matters. Personal letters to General Henry Jackson and M.M. Hays pertain to Knox's land purchases and related debt. A letter to U.S. Vice President Thomas Jefferson dated March 9, 1800 introduces Mr. Pope, inventor of improvements to a horizontal wind mill, and expresses disappointment with the path of his son Henry's naval career. Documents signed by Knox consist of a certificate of debt settlement and military discharge, and a warrant to survey land for a soldier's military bounty.
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Adams, Samuel, 1722-1803
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 20
2.25 linear feet (7 boxes, 5 oversized folders)
Samuel Adams (1722-1803) was an American revolutionary and post-revolutionary era political leader. Adams served as lieutenant-governor of Massachusetts from 1789 to 1793, and was governor from 1794 to 1797. The Adams papers contain letters to...
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Samuel Adams (1722-1803) was an American revolutionary and post-revolutionary era political leader. Adams served as lieutenant-governor of Massachusetts from 1789 to 1793, and was governor from 1794 to 1797. The Adams papers contain letters to Adams and drafts of letters by him, chiefly on public affairs; as well as manuscripts of addresses, petitions, committee minutes, resolutions, and other documents. Much of Adams’ correspondence is with notable figures of the period in America and Europe including John Adams, Samuel Cooper, Christopher Gadsden, Horatio Gates, Elbridge Gerry, Joseph Hawley, Thomas Jefferson, Arthur Lee, Richard Henry Lee, James Lovell, Thomas Paine, and James Warren. There are also letters (1778-1781) to Adams’ wife, Elizabeth Wells Adams, on family matters, as well as letters neither to nor from Adams.
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Schuyler, Philip John, 1733-1804
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 23900
.21 linear feet (1 box)
Philip John Schuyler (1733-1804), a Revolutionary War general and statesman, was a prominent member of the landed aristocracy of New York State. The collection consists of various autograph letters and documents of Philip Schuyler, including...
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Philip John Schuyler (1733-1804), a Revolutionary War general and statesman, was a prominent member of the landed aristocracy of New York State. The collection consists of various autograph letters and documents of Philip Schuyler, including letters and orders written to Peter Curtenius, Richard Varick, Jeremiah Wadsworth, James Duane, and James Clinton during the American Revolution, and letters to his daughters Eliza and Catherine and other family members. Correspondence with Simeon De Witt, a letter to Barent Bleecker, and related documents concern their efforts to build canals in upstate New York during the 1790s. Also present are two documents signed in his role as Commissioner of Indian Affairs, a letter to Richard Davis giving instructions on management of his property, a land indenture, and some receipts.
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Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 1557
1.86 linear feet (1 box, 1 oversized folder)
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was a Founding Father, statesman, lawyer, and planter. He is considered the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson held numerous political offices throughout his career including representative...
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Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was a Founding Father, statesman, lawyer, and planter. He is considered the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson held numerous political offices throughout his career including representative from Virginia in the Second Continental Congress, Governor of Virginia, Minister to France, Secretary of State under George Washington, Vice President of the United States under John Adams, and President of the United States from 1801-1809. The Thomas Jefferson papers, dated 1766-1826, cover Jefferson's career as a statesman, lawyer, and plantation owner. The bulk of the collection consists of outgoing correspondence, 1766 and 1783-1826, concerning Jefferson's thoughts on the formation of a new government, naval and shipping issues, the growth and sale of tobacco on his plantation, and personal and business matters. Correspondents include John Page, James Madison, James Monroe, Edmund Pendleton, Robert Purviance, and Noah Webster. Additional documents notably include Jefferson’s draft of a proposed amendment to the Constitution on the purchase of the Louisiana Territory, containing notes penciled by James Madison, as well as Jefferson's 1771 list of suggested books for a private library. Also present are legal documents, drafts, notes, and autographs.
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United States.
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 2291
.3 linear feet (2 volumes)
Manuscript petition (7 p.) signed by forty-six members of the Second Continental Congress on July 8, 1775, asking King George III to use his authority and influence to address grievances and restore harmony in the government's relations with the...
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Manuscript petition (7 p.) signed by forty-six members of the Second Continental Congress on July 8, 1775, asking King George III to use his authority and influence to address grievances and restore harmony in the government's relations with the American colonies. The petition, drafted by John Dickinson, is considered the colonies' final effort to avert revolution against Great Britain. The document is also known as the Olive Branch Petition.
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Madison, James, 1751-1836
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 1833
1.78 linear feet (4 boxes, 1 oversized folder)
James Madison (1751-1836) was one of the key contributors in the drafting of the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights and the fourth President of the United States. The James Madison papers, dated 1773-1847, primarily consist of...
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James Madison (1751-1836) was one of the key contributors in the drafting of the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights and the fourth President of the United States. The James Madison papers, dated 1773-1847, primarily consist of correspondence and documents either written by or sent James Madison. Topics of the correspondence include the American Revolution, war intelligence reports, foreign relations, political events, slavery, and domestic and family affairs. Other documents include checks, contracts, an annotated address, and a note of Madison's accounts with James Monroe. Letters to and from Madison's family, the bulk of which were addressed to Dolley Madison, are also included. The bulk of these pertain to domestic and social affairs.
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Van Cortlandt family
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 3130
3 linear feet (7 boxes); 3 microfilm reels
Members of the Van Cortlandt family were major Westchester County landowners and New York politicians from the 17th to the 19th century. The Van Wyck family was related to them by marriage. Collection consists of correspondence, accounts, legal...
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Members of the Van Cortlandt family were major Westchester County landowners and New York politicians from the 17th to the 19th century. The Van Wyck family was related to them by marriage. Collection consists of correspondence, accounts, legal documents, papers relating to land in New York owned by the Van Cortlandt family, estate papers, and wills. Correspondence, 1779-1912, concerns family, personal and real estate matters, the progress of the Revolutionary War, and political matters. There is a significant amount of correspondence between Pierre Van Cortlandt and his son Philip. Also, 1824 almanac with journal notes; manuscript of Philip Van Cortlandt's autobiography; sketch of seating arrangement in Congress Hall, Philadelphia, 1795; family documents; and documents, 1775-1813, concerning the Continental Army.
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Gansevoort, Peter, 1749-1812
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 23873
2.07 linear feet (9 volumes)
Peter Gansevoort was an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. He took part in the invasion of Canada and commanded Fort Stanwix (renamed Fort Schuyler), defending it against a British attack in August of 1777. This...
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Peter Gansevoort was an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. He took part in the invasion of Canada and commanded Fort Stanwix (renamed Fort Schuyler), defending it against a British attack in August of 1777. This selection from Peter Gansevoort, Jr.'s military papers, 1754-1818, document his career as an officer in the Albany militia and the Continental Army, as well as the commander of the United States Army's Northern Department. The bulk of the documents relate to Gansevoort's service as colonel in command of New York's 3rd Regiment during the Revolution. Subjects of note include intelligence, troop movements, the supply and arming of Continental forces, the siege at Fort Stanwix, the Saratoga Campaign, and the post-Revolution Western Frontier. Documents consist of correspondence, accounts, muster rolls, returns, commissions and commendations.
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Wilkinson, James, 1757-1825
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 4680
.1 linear feet (1 folder)
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...
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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.
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Smith, William, 1746-1822
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 15664
.01 linear feet (2 items in 1 folder)
Elizabeth Graeme Fergusson (1737-1801) was a prominent American poet and author, known especially for the literary salon she established in colonial Philadelphia, and her association with the family estate of Graeme Park in Horsham, Pennsylvania....
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Elizabeth Graeme Fergusson (1737-1801) was a prominent American poet and author, known especially for the literary salon she established in colonial Philadelphia, and her association with the family estate of Graeme Park in Horsham, Pennsylvania. William Smith (1746-1822) was a Philadelphia physician and druggist. In 1775 he married Ann Young (1756-1780, also known as Anna Young), the niece of Elizabeth Graeme Fergusson. He married Letitia Correy in 1783, and purchased Graeme Park from Fergusson in 1791. The collection consists of two letters dated 1778 March 20 and 1791 March 16, written by W. Smith at Philadelphia to "Dear Madam" (Elizabeth Graeme Fergusson). His letter of 1778 March 20 apprises her of efforts being made by her friends in the Pennsylvania Assembly to restore her property rights, and shares news of mutual acquaintances and the progress of the war. His letter of 1791 March 16 concerns his plans to attend a sale she was holding.
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United States. Continental Army. Connecticut Regiment, 3rd (1781-1783)
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 6335
.42 linear feet (1 box)
Orderly books of the Third Connecticut Regiment, 1782 Feb.8 to 1783 June 2, kept at headquarters of Highland's Department, Newburgh, N.Y. Six volumes
Allen, Stephen, 1767-1852
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 51
1 v. (239 leaves)
Pickering, Timothy, 1745-1829
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 4580
.1 linear feet (1 folder)
Timothy Pickering (1745-1829) was a Massachusetts statesman who served variously as colonel in the Continental Army, United States Secretary of War, and United States Secretary of State. The Timothy Pickering papers consist mainly of letters...
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Timothy Pickering (1745-1829) was a Massachusetts statesman who served variously as colonel in the Continental Army, United States Secretary of War, and United States Secretary of State. The Timothy Pickering papers consist mainly of letters written by Pickering in the 1780s and 1790s in a professional capacity, with Samuel Hodgdon and Jedidiah Huntington being his most frequent correspondents. Earlier papers document the conditions and movements of the Army, 1780-1781, and include bills for services and supplies signed by Pickering as Quartermaster General. Letters relative to his duties as Secretary of War discuss the acquisition of provisions and munitions. Letters and documents created during his tenure as Secretary of State include "an estimate of the expence of negociating a treaty with the French Republic," 1799, and "Principles which should govern in choosing a president of the United States." Later material relates to personal and family matters, including an 1827 letter to Virgil Maxcy asking for advice in the growing of hops. Also present are autographs, seals, and receipts.
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Greene, Nathanael, 1742-1786
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 4424
.1 linear feet (1 folder)
The collection consists of a small quantity of letters written by American Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene. Letters discuss preparations for the Battle of Long Island; the preservation of public stores and mobilization of troops under...
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The collection consists of a small quantity of letters written by American Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene. Letters discuss preparations for the Battle of Long Island; the preservation of public stores and mobilization of troops under General Putnam; and the payment of officers. A later letter references his postwar agrarian pursuits in Georgia. Also present are fragments of letters and other writings; notes from an unknown source on Greene's campaigns; and an undated transcription of an illustrated narrative of the Battle of Eutaw Springs (1781) taken from Johnson's Life of General Greene
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Lafayette, Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier, marquis de, 1757-1834
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 4490
.1 linear feet (1 folder)
Letters from the Marquis de Lafayette to various parties written between 1791 and 1834. Letters to Colonel Timothy Pickering and Maryland governor Thomas Sim Lee pertain to military matters; an 1834 letter to Joseph Hume expresses concern for...
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Letters from the Marquis de Lafayette to various parties written between 1791 and 1834. Letters to Colonel Timothy Pickering and Maryland governor Thomas Sim Lee pertain to military matters; an 1834 letter to Joseph Hume expresses concern for Polish refugees displaced by Prussian authorities. Other letters relate to social engagements and personal affairs; recipients include Hugues-Bernard Maret, 1st Duc de Bassano, and Peter Stephen Du Ponceau. In English and French
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Lincoln, Benjamin, 1733-1810
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 4524
.1 linear feet (1 folder)
Benjamin Lincoln (1733-1810) served as a major general in the Continental Army, as Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, and was appointed customs collector for the Port of Boston in 1789. The papers consist predominantly of letters sent by...
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Benjamin Lincoln (1733-1810) served as a major general in the Continental Army, as Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, and was appointed customs collector for the Port of Boston in 1789. The papers consist predominantly of letters sent by Lincoln pertaining to military matters, including a letter dated September 4, 1779, to General Lachlan McIntosh announcing the landing of Comte d'Estaing with twenty-five ships of the line and describing preparations for what would become the Siege of Savannah. Also present are legal documents, including powers of attorney and loan certificates; a bill of sale for the sloop "Polly," and customs documents generated by Lincoln during his term as Collector of the Port of Boston.
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Trumbull, Jonathan, 1710-1785
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 4224
.1 linear feet (1 folder)
Jonathan Trumbull, Sr. (1710-1785) was governor of the Colony and State of Connecticut (1769-1786). Letters date predominantly from the Revolutionary War period and pertain to military orders, supplies, troop movements, location of the British...
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Jonathan Trumbull, Sr. (1710-1785) was governor of the Colony and State of Connecticut (1769-1786). Letters date predominantly from the Revolutionary War period and pertain to military orders, supplies, troop movements, location of the British fleet, Council of Safety meetings and other matters; many are addressed to Major General Jabez Huntington. In addition there are orders for sheriffs, several signed military commissions, a Council of Safety resolution to build frigates, autograph clippings, and a promissory note.
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Trumbull, Jonathan, 1740-1809
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 4230
.1 linear feet (1 folder)
Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. (1740-1809) was Governor of Connecticut from 1797 until his death in 1809. He was the son of Jonathan Trumbull (1710-1785), Governor of Connecticut from 1769 to 1786. During the American Revolution, Trumbull was a Paymaster...
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Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. (1740-1809) was Governor of Connecticut from 1797 until his death in 1809. He was the son of Jonathan Trumbull (1710-1785), Governor of Connecticut from 1769 to 1786. During the American Revolution, Trumbull was a Paymaster of the Continental Army, comptroller of the Treasury, and aide-de-camp to General George Washington. He served in the U.S. Congress as a representative and senator for Connecticut, 1789-1796. The collection consists of letters sent to military officers and others, mainly in his capacities of paymaster and governor; several signed certificates for Connecticut civil appointments and military commissions; and a document signed by Trumbull and other presidential electors, 1800, appointing a courier to deliver their votes to Washington, D.C. Recipients include Ebenezer Huntington (1754-1834) and Jeremiah Wadsworth (1743-1804) of Connecticut, both military officers and politicians. Early letters and receipts concern Army and government accounts, 1776-1780; a 1790 letter to Huntington from Philadelphia discusses the politics of moving the U.S. capitol to Washington. Letters written during his governorship pertain to state militia, personal property and family matters.
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Yates, Abraham, 1724-1796
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 3405
2.99 linear feet (8 boxes, 1 volume, 1 oversized folder)
Abraham Yates, Jr. (1724-1796) was an American lawyer, politician, and pamphleteer. He held numerous elected offices and political appointments throughout his life including sheriff of Albany city and county from 1754 to 1759, chairman of the...
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Abraham Yates, Jr. (1724-1796) was an American lawyer, politician, and pamphleteer. He held numerous elected offices and political appointments throughout his life including sheriff of Albany city and county from 1754 to 1759, chairman of the Albany Committee of Correspondence from 1774 to 1776, member of the New York Provincial Congress from 1775 to 1777 and its chairman in 1776 and 1777, New York state senator from 1777 to 1790, delegate for New York to the Congress of the Confederation in 1787 and 1788, and mayor of Albany from 1790 to 1796. Like his nephew, jurist Robert Yates, he was an active revolutionary patriot and Anti-Federalist. As pamphleteers they shared the pen-name, The Rough Hewer. Collection, dated 1754-1825, consists of correspondence, writings, speeches, notes, estate papers, and printed matter pertaining to the activities of Abraham Yates as a political figure in New York State, his legal practice and private financial matters, and his family. Correspondence, dated 1754-1825, contains incoming and outgoing letters and drafts of letters. Writings, notes, and speeches contain essays he wrote on the United States Constitution, notes on proceedings in Congress, speeches to the delegates to Congress in 1786, The Rough Hewer manuscript, and notes for histories of New York and Albany. Also included are papers relating to the Manor of Rensselaerwyck and the Albany Committee of Correspondence, land and family records, photograph of a painting of Yates, and other items such as broadsides and a legal treatise by Thomas Wentworth printed in London in 1663.
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Boston Committee of Correspondence
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 343
2.4 linear feet (8 boxes, 1 oversized folder)
The Boston Committee of Correspondence was formed at the Boston Town Meeting of November 2, 1772 in response to the British government’s decision to pay the governor and Superior Court judges of Massachusetts with Crown stipends, thereby making...
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The Boston Committee of Correspondence was formed at the Boston Town Meeting of November 2, 1772 in response to the British government’s decision to pay the governor and Superior Court judges of Massachusetts with Crown stipends, thereby making them dependent on the Crown rather than the people in assembly. With the participation of Samuel Adams and others, the Committee prepared statements of the colonists’ rights and the violation of those rights by Great Britain, and sent them to other Massachusetts towns in pamphlet form, asking for their support and advice. In response to what became known as the Boston Pamphlet, similar committees formed in towns across Massachusetts and in other American colonies, helping to create a network of colonial communication ultimately leading to independence from Great Britain. The Boston Committee of Correspondence records, dated 1772-1784, document the Committee’s initiatives in colonial political action in Massachusetts, from the writing of the Boston Pamphlet in November 1772 through the early months of war with Great Britain in 1775, as well as the Committee's contact with other colonies. The records also document its continued work as the Committee of Correspondence, Inspection and Safety, 1777-1784, largely concerned with investigating suspected enemies of the American cause.
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Washington, George, 1732-1799
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 3231
5.52 linear feet (11 boxes, 15 volumes, 9 oversized folders)
George Washington (1732-1799) was a Virginia planter, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution, and first President of the United States. The Washington Papers comprise manuscript items by or related to George...
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George Washington (1732-1799) was a Virginia planter, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution, and first President of the United States. The Washington Papers comprise manuscript items by or related to George Washington and his family acquired by The New York Public Library and its predecessor the Lenox Library through various gifts and purchases. Among the items in the collection are Washington’s notebook as a colonel in the Virginia militia (1757), the manuscript of his Farewell Address to the nation (1796), and letters he sent and received, 1757-1799.
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Myers, Theodorus Bailey, 1821-1888
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 2091
10.4 linear feet (35 boxes, 10 volumes, 1 oversized folder)
Theodorus Bailey Myers (1821-1888) was an American lawyer, businessman, and historical manuscripts collector. His collection consists chiefly of letters and documents signed by individuals prominent in American history during the colonial period,...
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Theodorus Bailey Myers (1821-1888) was an American lawyer, businessman, and historical manuscripts collector. His collection consists chiefly of letters and documents signed by individuals prominent in American history during the colonial period, the American Revolution, and the nineteenth century. Represented in the collection are the signers of the Declaration of Independence, governors of New Netherlands and New York, members of the Continental Congress, and generals and other military figures of the Revolution, including American, British, French, and Hessian officers. In addition to prominent figures in American history, the collection contains letters and documents of English and European royalty and military figures, including Napoleon and his marshals.
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Deane, Silas, 1737-1789
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 4310
.1 linear feet (1 folder)
Silas Deane (1737-1789) was an American lawyer and merchant, member of the Continental Congress from Connecticut, 1774-1776, and Congressional agent and diplomat in France, 1776-1778. Recalled in 1778 under controversial circumstances, Deane...
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Silas Deane (1737-1789) was an American lawyer and merchant, member of the Continental Congress from Connecticut, 1774-1776, and Congressional agent and diplomat in France, 1776-1778. Recalled in 1778 under controversial circumstances, Deane returned to Europe in 1780 as a private citizen and died in 1789 en route to America. Silas Deane letters, dated 1767-1785, are addressed to his stepchildren Sarah (Sally) Webb and Samuel Blachley Webb, and friends Thomas Mumford and Thomas Cushing, New England merchants and politicians. Letters to Sally in Boston, 1767-1769, mention her mother's illness and offer advice for Sally's education and self-improvement. His 1778 letter to Thomas Cushing in Boston asks him to assist Sally, now the widow of John Simpson, a Loyalist. Letters written at Philadelphia to Thomas Mumford in Connecticut, 1774-1775, tell of Congressional business and colonial disputes, his participation in the Secret Committee to obtain support from Europe, and the need to develop an American naval force. Deane's letter of July 16, 1785 at London to Samuel Blachley Webb gives a careful study of American commercial prospects and Great Britain's rising manufacturing economy. A letter dated March 7, 1779 addressing "my Dear Col[onel]," and referring to an exchange, may be addressed to Samuel Blachley Webb, at that time an American army colonel and prisoner of war.
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Committee of Brookhaven, Manor of St. George and Patentship of Moriches
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 405
.1 linear feet (1 volume)
Manuscript meeting minutes, 1775 August 3-September 2, for the Committee of Brookhaven, Manor of St. George and Patentship of Moriches. The Committee was established as a local committee of observation during the Revolutionary era by the Town of...
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Manuscript meeting minutes, 1775 August 3-September 2, for the Committee of Brookhaven, Manor of St. George and Patentship of Moriches. The Committee was established as a local committee of observation during the Revolutionary era by the Town of Brookhaven, Long Island, New York at the town meeting of June 8, 1775. Pursuant to that meeting the Committee organized at Coram on June 27. Months later it was superseded by a new committee of safety holding its first meeting on April 16, 1776. Minutes of the Committee of Brookhaven, Manor of St. George and Patentship of Moriches (8 pages bound in 1 volume), are for meetings held 1775 August 3 and 23, and September 2 and 21, all at Coram. Matters discussed include quorums for emergency action, the procurement of gunpowder and lead by Selah Strong and Samuel Thompson, reimbursements for losses incurred by patriots, the raising and funding of militia, and dealing with disorderly and disloyal conduct. Reference is also made to difficulties encountered by an earlier committee. Modern transcripts of the minutes of the 1775 and 1776 committees are included in the collection.
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Lee, Richard Henry, 1732-1794
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 4522
.1 linear feet (1 folder)
Richard Henry Lee (1732-1794), American statesman, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. He represented Virginia in the Continental Congress and later in the United States Senate. The Richard Henry Lee...
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Richard Henry Lee (1732-1794), American statesman, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. He represented Virginia in the Continental Congress and later in the United States Senate. The Richard Henry Lee letters, dated 1771-1793, are written mainly to family members, including his brother William Lee, and chiefly concern mercantile affairs, family matters and political or military news of the day. A letter to kinsman Charles Lee, August 31, 1779, discusses international alliances and mentions his brother Arthur Lee's interest in bringing a libel suit against Silas Deane for his published Address of December 5, 1778. Letters to other correspondents include a 1778 letter to Virginia statesman John Page, discussing British and American military movements and France's entry in the war, and a 1781 letter to an unidentified recipient suggesting means to secure a loan from Holland to help defray Virginia's war costs. Also present are Richard Henry Lee's letter of March 26, 1787 declining the position of delegate at the Constitutional Convention, and his resignation from the United States Senate, October 8, 1792, both letters citing poor health.
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Penn, Richard, approximately 1736-1811
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 22996
.21 linear feet (1 volume)
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...
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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
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