| | 1 | Author: | Pemberton, Israel, 1715-1779 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Israel Pemberton, Letterbook D, 1744-1747
| | | | Dates: | 1744-1747 | | | | Abstract: | The Israel Pemberton Letter book contains a range of data on Philadelphia shipping and trade. Pemberton was a merchant who had connections to Samuel Coates (Mss.B.C632 , Mss.C.632.1d , Mss.B.C632.1). These records precede Coates and pertain to trade in Philadelphia during the 1740s. They show a merchant with strong ties throughout the Atlantic World. His letters discuss a range of business matters, such as prices of commodities, costs of insurance, and general trade environment. Pemberton's letters discuss intercolonial trade with Maryland and Virginia (tobacco in particular), while others with matters in Europe and the Caribbean (sugar, rum, bar iron), reflecting his various trading interests. In addition to the business correspondence, Pemberton's letters occasionally discuss more quotidian matters, describing events in Philadelphia and relaying news he hears from abroad and on very rare occasions his family affairs.
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| | | | Call #: | Mss.380.P36 | | | | Extent: | 1 volume(s) | | | | Topics: | Business and Skilled Trades | International Trade. | Philadelphia History | Social Life and Custom | Trade | | | | Genre: | Business Records and Accounts | General Correspondence | | | | Subjects: | Commerce. | |
| 2 | Author: | Hall, David, 1714-1772 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | David Hall papers, 1745-1822
| | | | Dates: | 1745-1822 | | | | Abstract: | This collection consists of a range of materials related to the business history of David Hall, printer. The collection contains four outgoing letter books of David Hall to business correspondents (Xeroxed from a private collection), account books for the shop (Xeroxed from a private collection), and incoming correspondence, primarily from William Strahan (mostly originals). Hall's letter and account books provide a clear record of the print shop's business. The correspondence of William Strahan, which is the only original manuscript portion of the collection at the APS, is often long and detailed. The letters from Strahan touch on matters relating to family and friends, business, and politics. Strahan's letters occasionally discuss his business dealings in other colonies, and mention other printers such as James Rivington. Strahan almost always ends by giving Hall accounts of politics in London, which may have been used to disseminate news in the PA Gazette. These accounts also provide insight into the perceptions and beliefs of a prominent Londoner during the imperial crisis.
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| | | | Call #: | Mss.B.H142.1-3 | | | | Extent: | 0.25 Linear Feet | | | | Topics: | American Revolution | Business and Skilled Trades | International Affairs | Printing and Publishing | | | | Genre: | Business Records and Accounts | General Correspondence | | | | Subjects: | Papermaking -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia -- 18th century. | Printing industry -- Accounting -- United States -- 18th century. | |
| 6 | Author: | Dawes, Elizabeth F.,collector. | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Dawes Collection of Documents on American History
| | | | 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. | |
| 7 | Author: | Penn, Thomas, 1702-1775 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Thomas Penn correspondence, 1747-1771, with James Hamilton
| | | | Dates: | 1747-1771 | | | | Abstract: | This Thomas and Richard Penn Collection contains a range of correspondence from the proprietors of Pennsylvania, Thomas and Richard Penn (especially Thomas, the chief proprietor), to their agents in Pennsylvania, especially James Hamilton, who served as governor in the 1750s. The Collection begins in the 1740s, spans the Seven Years' War, and ends in the midst of the imperial crisis. Because of the time period covered, the letters touch on many important matters regarding the militarization of Pennsylvania, political battles within the colony, and the crisis brought about by imperial consolidation in the 1760s.
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| | | | Call #: | Mss.974.8.P36c | | | | Extent: | 1 volume(s) | | | | Topics: | American Revolution | Colonial Politics | Government Affairs | Land and Speculation | Military History | Pennsylvania History | Seven Years' War | | | | Genre: | Business Records and Accounts | General Correspondence | Official Government Documents and Records | Political Correspondence | |
| 9 | Author: | Bancker, James A. | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | James A. Bancker papers, 1842-1849
| | | | Dates: | 1842-1849 | | | | Abstract: | This collection of letters (40+) consists primarily of James Bancker writing to his family from Asia in the 1840s. The collection offers a vivid depiction of an American's life abroad in the nineteenth century. The letters convey quotidian information, such as the type of food he is eating, to more remarkable events, such as witnessing a comet. Bancker also witnessed a number of significant political events while in China, including the acquisition of Hong Kong by Great Britain and resistance to this takeover from the Hong Kong residents (1842-1843). These events, the rioting in particular, are recounted in his often long and detailed correspondence to his Philadelphia-based family. Bancker spent much of his time in Canton, but he also described visits to the Philippines and voyage to and from China. Combined, the collection provides a lens in the experiences of a wealthy American traveling abroad in the midst of the nineteenth century.
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| | | | Call #: | Mss.B.B22 | | | | Extent: | 0.25 Linear Feet | | | | Topics: | Americans Abroad | Beyond Early America | Business and Skilled Trades | International Trade. | International Travel | Marriage and Family Life | Trade | Travel | | | | Genre: | Business Records and Accounts | Family Correspondence | General Correspondence | | | | Subjects: | Americans -- China -- Social life and customs. | British -- China -- Social life and customs -- 1644-1912. | Voyages and travels. | |
| 13 | Author: | Carson, Joseph, 1808-1876 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Joseph Carson papers, 1810-1877
| | | | Dates: | 1810-1877 | | | | Abstract: | The APS collection of Joseph Carson's letters is relatively small, especially for the purposes of this guide. Joseph Carson was a Philadelphia born and educated physician who spent time serving as a ship's physician. The collection has six documents from before 1850. They range from letters to receipts to notes from a lecture. Of particular significance is a very long letter Carson wrote from Calcultta in 1830 to Samuel Grant, an associate in the U.S.. Carson had been asked to carry a bill of exchange for Grant, which he had some difficulty disposing of because Grant's credit was not well-known, and to purchase goods on Grant's behalf for sale in the U.S.. Carson details the process and availability of goods in India, and the reasons for his decision to purchase silk and indigo for Grant. Carson then goes on to describe his experience on the trip, stating that he "played the part of merchant and doctor."
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| | | | Call #: | Mss.B.C239 | | | | Extent: | 0.25 Linear Feet | | | | Topics: | Americans Abroad | Education | Medicine | Trade | | | | Genre: | Business Records and Accounts | Educational Material | General Correspondence | Notebooks | | | | Subjects: | Botany. | Medical publishing | Medicine -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia. | |
| 14 | Author: | Morris, Anthony,1766-1860. | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Anthony Morris papers, ca. 1690-1830
| | | | Dates: | Circa 1690-1830 | | | | Abstract: | The Anthony Morris Collection is a miscellaneous collection of materials relating to the life of this Philadelphia businessman. The type of material includes some correspondence, many receipts, various business records, and a few deeds, one of which dates to 1681. Most of the documents come from early to mid nineteenth century. There is a particularly large collection of Anthony Morris's correspondence, dating mostly to the early nineteenth century. There are also architectural drawings of a Fellenberg Institution, a school that would use the educational techniques created by a Swiss educator. The Institution was proposed to be built on Morris' property. Morris, born in 1766 and dying in 1860, was from a prominent Philadelphia family and served as a merchant and legislator.
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| | | | Call #: | Mss.B.M836 | | | | Extent: | 1 Linear Feet | | | | Topics: | Business and Skilled Trades | Education | Trade | | | | Genre: | Business Records and Accounts | Educational Material | General Correspondence | Sketchbooks | | | | Subjects: | Agricultural colleges -- Pennsylvania. | |
| 20 | 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. | |
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