| 1 | Author: | Lee, Arthur, 1740-1792 | Add | | Title: | Account of the robbery of the papers of Arthur Lee, American agent at Berlin, June 26, 1777 - July 5, 1777
| | | Dates: | June 26, 1777 - July 5, 1977 | | | Abstract: | Arthur Lee served as the American agent in Berlin, where he represented U.S. interests to the court of the King of Prussia, Frederick. The collection consists of a series of documents relating to the robbery of Arthur Lee's papers in Berlin, most likely by an English agent. The documents are in both German and French. The documents include depositions and interviews that cast the blame for the theft on an English agent and a servant. Information on this event can be found in the Franklin Papers and The Life of Arthur Lee.
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| | | Call #: | Mss.973.3.Ac2 | | | Extent: | 1 volume(s) | | | Topics: | American Revolution | Diplomatic History | | | Genre: | Diplomatic Material | | | Subjects: | Criminal law. | |
2 | Author: | Woodruff, Robert. | Add | | 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 | |
3 | Author: | Short, William (1759-1849) | Add | | Title: | William Short correspondence, 1787-1838
| | | Dates: | 1787-1838 | | | Abstract: | This large and rich collection of American diplomat William Short touches on matters personal and political. William Short sought, unsuccessfully, to marry the Duchess La Rochefoucauld. These letters chronicle this failed courtship. LaRouchefoucauld's correspondence also discusses the tumultuous events of the French Revolution, as told through the eyes of a wealthy noble. Short served as Jefferson's private secretary in France, and because of that, some of the early correspondence provides insight on the American delegation in France. The correspondence is largely in French, but the APS has an English translation of most of the documents. In addition to the Short-LaRouchefoucauld correspondence, there are letters from other prominent Frenchmen.
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| | | Call #: | Mss.B.Sh83 | | | Extent: | 0.25 Linear Feet | | | Topics: | Americans Abroad | Diplomatic History | Marriage and Family Life | Social Life and Custom | | | Genre: | Diplomatic Material | |
9 | Author: | unknown | Add | | Title: | Indian and Military Affairs of Pennsylvania, 1737-1775
| | | Dates: | 1737-1775 | | | Abstract: | This large volume contains a wealth of data on Pennsylvania history beginning in 1737 and ending in 1775. Documents include letters, orders, and treaty minutes relating to Pennsylvania's military and political history. Although much of the material relates to the Seven Years' War, there are also documents relating to the Maryland-Pennsylvania border dispute, impressments of sailors, the founding of the Pennsylvania hospital, and other aspects of the political history of the colony. The bulk of the material deals with military, diplomatic, and political issues. Most of the documents have been printed in either the Pennsylvania Archives or Hazard's Register.
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| | | Call #: | Mss.974.8.P19 | | | Extent: | 1 volume(s) | | | Topics: | Colonial Politics | Diplomatic History | Government Affairs | Military History | Native America | Pennsylvania History | Seven Years' War | Social Life and Custom | Surveying and Maps | | | Genre: | Diplomatic Material | Military Records | Official Government Documents and Records | | | Subjects: | Delaware Indians | Indians of North America -- Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 | United States -- History -- French and Indian War, 1755-1763 | |
10 | Author: | Braddock, Edward, 1695-1755 | Add | | Title: | Manuscripts on Indian affairs, 1755-1792, [n.d.]
| | | Dates: | 1755-1792 | | | Abstract: | These volumes contain an assortment of documents relating to colonial Pennsylvania's relations with Indian groups. Most notably, the collection contains journals and treaty minutes from the Seven Years' War, including a journal by Conrad Weiser, a manuscript version of Charles Thomson's "Enquiry into the Alienation," and official government records from the war. There are other documents that do not bear directly on Indian affairs. Most notably, there is a manuscript essay by Lewis Evans on German immigration that details the often brutal experience of immigrants' journey to Pennsylvania and proposes a series of reforms. There is also a printed essay in the back of the volume that opposes capital punishment and was printed in Philadelphia in 1792.
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| | | Call #: | Mss.970.4.M415 | | | Extent: | 2 volume(s) | | | Topics: | Diplomatic History | Law | Native America | Pennsylvania History | Seven Years' War | Social Life and Custom | Travel | | | Genre: | Diplomatic Material | Manuscript Essays | Official Government Documents and Records | Printed Material | Travel Narratives and Journals | | | Subjects: | Braddock's Campaign, 1755. | Delaware Indians | Indians of North America -- Pennsylvania | Indians of North America -- Treaties | Pennsylvania -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 | Shawnee Indians | |
13 | Author: | Franklin, William Temple, 1760-1823 | Add | | Title: | William Temple Franklin Papers
| | | Dates: | 1775-1819 | | | Abstract: | This is a large collection of William Temple Franklin papers, most of which were written while he was serving alongside his grandfather in France as the secretary of the American mission there. The bulk of the collection is correspondence written to William Temple Franklin during the American Revolution. Franklin had a wide network of friends and associates, and this correspondence captures the range of dealings Franklin had in France. As secretary, he received intelligence, requests, reports of military actions, especially those pertaining to naval actions in the Atlantic, and various other communications. As a private individual, Franklin had relations with many merchants, traders, and land speculators and continued to cultivate these relationships while in Europe. The Collection also includes a diary kept in an almanac for much of 1785, catalogued separately in MOLE.
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| | | Call #: | Mss.B.F86 | | | Extent: | 4.75 Linear Feet | | | Topics: | American Revolution | Americans Abroad | Business and Skilled Trades | Diplomatic History | International Travel | Land and Speculation | Marriage and Family Life | Military History | | | Genre: | Business Records and Accounts | Diplomatic Material | Family Correspondence | General Correspondence | Political Correspondence | | | Subjects: | Balloons -- Early works to 1800 | Mesmerism | |
14 | Author: | Smith Family | Add | | Title: | Smith-Houston-Morris-Ogden Family papers, 1659-1985
| | | Dates: | 1659-1985 | | | Abstract: | The Smith-Houston-Morris-Ogden Collection is the APS's largest collection. It has a vast array of materials from early America. The APS has on file a 303-page survey of the collection that scholars may want to consult before beginning their research. In general, the collection contains information on business, politics, family and social life, Philadelphia history, land expansion, and estates. A good part Morris portion of the collection comes from Governeur Morris and his wife. The bulk of this material begins with his time as an emissary to France during the early republic and continues to his death. There is also a fairly extensive collection of his wife's correspondence, most of which follows Governeur's death. Her letters touch on issues relating to his estate and to other affairs. It includes discussions of slavery in Virginia and contains correspondence from memebers of the extended Jefferson family. The Ogden's were surveyors and land speculators in the late colonial and early national period. This portion of the collection contains discussion of land, business, politics, and family matters. A significant amount of these papers focus on the operations of a grist mill in New York. There are papers from numerous other prominent families, such as the Clemsons, Morgans, and Lewises, who were related through marriage.
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| | | Call #: | Mss.Ms.Coll.76 | | | Extent: | 350 Linear Feet | | | Topics: | Business and Skilled Trades | Colony and State Specific History | Diplomatic History | Early National Politics | International Affairs | Land and Speculation | Pennsylvania History | Philadelphia History | Surveying and Maps | Trade | | | Genre: | Business Records and Accounts | Diplomatic Material | Family Correspondence | Miscellaneous | Political Correspondence | | | Subjects: | Land speculation | |
16 | Author: | Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790 | Add | | Title: | Benjamin Franklin Papers, 1642-1841
| | | Dates: | 1642-1841 | | | Abstract: | The Papers of Benjamin Franklin are a rich source as varied and expansive as Dr. Franklin's storied life. The Collection has been calendared, catalogued, and much of it is transcribed in printed volumes and online at www.franklinpapers.org.
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| | | Call #: | Mss.B.F85 | | | Extent: | 85.5 Linear Feet | | | Topics: | American Revolution | Americans Abroad | Business and Skilled Trades | Diplomatic History | Government Affairs | International Travel | Land and Speculation | Marriage and Family Life | Military History | Pennsylvania History | Printing and Publishing | Social Life and Custom | | | Genre: | Business Records and Accounts | Diplomatic Material | Family Correspondence | General Correspondence | Manuscript Essays | Political Correspondence | Printed Material | Scientific Correspondence | | | Subjects: | Abolition, emancipation, freedom | Electricity -- Early works to 1800 | Postal service -- United States | Printers -- Pennsylvania | Slaves, slavery, slave trade | Social conditions, social advocacy, social reform | |
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