| | | Author: | Vaux, George, V, 1721-1803 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Vaux Family Papers, 1690-1996
| | | | Dates: | 1690-1996 | | | | Abstract: | The George Vaux Papers is a massive collection which is focused on the business and financial interests of a prominent Philadelphia family. What follows is a list of some of the more notable parts of this expansive collection:
- Correspondence: There is a massive amount of correspondence, much of which is personal and familial in nature. Nonetheless, the letters often discuss politics, current affairs, and society. The earliest records date to 1701, although the great bulk are focused on the revolutionary era to the first quarter of the nineteenth century.
- Almanacs, 1790-1870: The collection contains a large collection of small pocket almanacs from Philadelphia. Some of the earliest ones contain records of financial transactions and diaries.
- Charles Thomson Correspondence: The collection has a series of letters from Charles Thomson, the Secretary of the Continental Congress. These letters are from the 1780s, after Thomson had largely retired from the political arena.
- Legal and Estate Documents: This portion of the collection is extensive and difficult to summarize. The family owned a huge amount of property throughout the state. These papers contain deeds, information on rents, surveys of land, and other transactions. Moreover, the Vaux family had ties through marriage and friendship to other prominent families, and some of their estate business is included in this collection. Among the notable papers are documents pertaining to John and Sally Norris Dickinson's properties and the estates of the Emlens and the Sansoms. One document complements the Jane Aitken Collection, as it has an accounting of the Bible that she printed.
- Travel Accounts: Most notably, George Vaux VII made a trip to "Indian Country" in 1802-1803. He wrote numerous letters home and kept a small and incomplete travel journal.
- Philadelphia City Affairs: The Vaux were active in civic life. The collection contains information on city improvements, with specific letters and records relating to the water supply. The collection has letters that discuss building the Water Works, records of a Committee on the Sewers, and an agreement between the city and Peale's Museum.
- Business Affairs: The record of the Vaux's diverse business interests is contained in this collection. In addition to their land holdings, the Vaux's were very active in internal improvements, with records from numerous navigation companies held in the collection. The Vaux's were also involved in mining and mineralogy, including Pennsylvania's oil lands, which is also reflected in the content of this collection. Finally, there are partial records of some prominent Philadelphia institutions, such as the Bank of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Contributorship.
- Native American Documents - In addition to George Vaux's travels into Indian Country, there are extracts from Indian Treaties and some records of the Friendly Association in this collection.
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| | | | Call #: | Mss.Ms.Coll.73 | | | | Extent: | 150 Linear Feet | | | | Topics: | African American | American Revolution | Antebellum Politics | Early National Politics | Marriage and Family Life | Native America | Pennsylvania History | Philadelphia History | Social Life and Custom | Surveying and Maps | Travel | | | | Genre: | Business Records and Accounts | Family Correspondence | General Correspondence | Institutional Records | Legal Records | Maps and Surveys | | | | Subjects: | Abolition, emancipation, freedom | Genealogy. | Land speculation | Mineralogy. | Quaker businesspeople | Quakers -- Missions. | Seneca Indians | Slaves, slavery, slave trade | Social conditions, social advocacy, social reform | Yellow fever. | |
| | Author: | Woodruff, Robert. | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Robert Woodruff journal. December 17, 1785 - May 1, 1788
| | | | Dates: | 1785-1788 | | | | Abstract: | This travel journal offers fascinating insight on the early republic. Robert Woodruff accompanied John Anstey, the official British emissary representing Loyalist claims, on his travels throughout the United States from 1785-1788. Woodruff travels corresponded with the drafting of the Federal Constitution and its ratification, and his journal often records observations on the debates surrounding the document. Among the more notable stories is that of a public procession in Boston after the ratification of the Constitution. Aside from the political, Woodruff gives detailed accounts of towns and cities he visited throughout the east coast. He often relays stories of the revolutionary war he hears and learns about as he travels. He also recounts dinners with some of the most prominent figures in the early republic, including one with George Washington at Mount Vernon. The details of his afternoon at Mount Vernon accounts for one of the longest entries. Finally, Woodruff also reports briefly on Native American affairs in the South and North. He discusses the Creek Indians and ongoing strife and war in Georgia. He also visited the Five Nations in New York.
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| | | | Call #: | Mss.917.4.W852 | | | | Extent: | 1 volume(s) | | | | Topics: | Diplomatic History | Early National Politics | Native America | Travel | | | | Genre: | Diplomatic Material | Travel Narratives and Journals | | | | Subjects: | Constitutional conventions -- United States. | Indians of North America | |
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