Resources in Early American History
Philadelphia History in topic [X]
Pennsylvania History in topic [X]
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Abolition, emancipation, freedom (5)
Adena culture -- West Virginia (1)
Advance (Brig) (1)
Africa, West -- Description and travel (1)
Agriculture (1)
American Academy of Music (Philadelphia, Pa.) (1)
American Colonization Society (1)
American Philosophical Society (1)
Anishinaabe (1)
Antislavery movements -- Pennsylvania (1)
Archaeology -- Pennsylvania (1)
Arctic Regions -- Discovery and exploration (1)
Astronomy -- 18th century (1)
Aztecs. (1)
Botanists. (1)
Botany. (1)
Business and politics -- Pennsylvania. (1)
Cherokee Indians (1)
Choctaw Indians (1)
Colonization, repatriation (1)
Culture, community, organizations (1)
Dinosaurs -- New Jersey (1)
Eastern State Penitentiary (Philadelphia, Pa.) (1)
Eastern Woodlands Indians (1)
Education (1)
Freemasons -- Pennsylvania (1)
Genealogy. (1)
Geological Survey of Pennsylvania (1)
Geology -- Pennsylvania (1)
Haviland, John, 1792-1852 (1)
Hayes, I. I. (Isaac Israel), 1832-1881 (1)
History of science and technology. (1)
Home economics -- United States -- Accounting (1)
Horticulture (1)
Horticulture. (1)
Horticulturists. (1)
Indians of Mexico (1)
Indians of North America -- Kentucky (1)
Indians of North America -- Mississippi (1)
Indians of North America -- Northwest Coast (1)
Indians of North America -- West Virginia (1)
Insurance agents -- United States. (1)
Kane, Elisha Kent, 1820-1857 (1)
Lancaster (Penn.) County Prison (1)
Land speculation (3)
Lyceums -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia (1)
Mesmerism (1)
Military supplies. (1)
Mineralogy. (1)
Mound builders (1)
1Author:  Rush, Benjamin, 1746-1813Requires cookie*
 Title:  Benjamin Rush memorandum book, 1805-1813     
 Dates:  1805-1813 
 Abstract:  The Benjamin Rush memorandum book documents a variety of Rush's financial transactions and investments. The book often contains specific details on lands Rush owned in Pennsylvania. Other transactions recorded include payments to schoolmasters for his children and the loans of books he made to people.

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 Call #:  Mss.B.R89m 
 Extent:  1 volume(s) 
 Topics:  Land and Speculation | Pennsylvania History | Philadelphia History 
 Genre:  Business Records and Accounts 
 Subjects:  Abolition, emancipation, freedom | Real property -- Pennsylvania. 
2Author:  unknownRequires cookie*
 Title:  H. I. Z., Advice and instruction to the Palatines newly arrived in the Province of Pennsylvania     
 Dates:  1727 
 Abstract:  This short piece offers a satirical take on some Philadelphians. Framed as a list of advice for new German immigrants, the piece has a more political tone in which it offers a critical appraisal of some prominent members of society and business. These two pages are in Benjamin Franklin's hand. Once thought to a work of Franklin's, since 1963, it has been believed that Franklin was not the original author of this piece.

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 Call #:  Mss.171.6.Z1 
 Extent:  1 item(s) 
 Topics:  Colonial Politics | Pennsylvania History | Philadelphia History 
 Genre:  Manuscript Essays 
3Author:  Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790Requires cookie*
 Title:  To the freeholders and freemen     
 Dates:  1727 
 Abstract:  This essay, written in 1727, advocates free and open election in Philadelphia. It criticizes the recent practice of governor's appointing assessors and other officers. Instead, it argues that more power should reside in the legislature of the colony. This document is in Benjamin Franklin's hand, although it is likely that Franklin transcribed a printed pamphlet published by Andrew Bradford.

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 Call #:  Mss.324.F85 
 Extent:  1 item(s) 
 Topics:  Colonial Politics | Pennsylvania History | Philadelphia History 
 Genre:  Manuscript Essays 
4Author:  Penn family.Requires cookie*
 Title:  Quit rent rolls,1688/9, 1788-1793     
 Dates:  1688-1798 
 Abstract:  The Penn Family Estates Collection consists of two volumes that contain quitrent data for land the Penns owned. The first is what appears to be a copy of a rent roll from 1688/1689. It lists names of individuals and their status (first purchaser, renter, etc.) and their tax information. The second is a large ledger book from 1788 that contains the names of individuals in Lancaster County who apparently leased land still owned by the Penn family.

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 Call #:  Mss.974.8.P38p 
 Extent:  2 volume(s) 
 Topics:  Land and Speculation | Pennsylvania History | Philadelphia History 
 Genre:  Business Records and Accounts | Official Government Documents and Records 
 Subjects:  Rent -- Pennsylvania. 
5Author:  New Sweden CompanyRequires cookie*
 Title:  New Sweden Records     
 Dates:  1650-1655 (1820) 
 Abstract:  This bound volume contains a host of information on the early history of European settlement on the Delaware River. Translated from records in Stockholm in the early-nineteenth century, the correspondence provides a window into the governance of the colony of New Sweden. The translations are almost all in French and consist of correspondence from the Swedish government to the colony, and from colonial officials, such as Joseph Printz, to the Crown.

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 Call #:  Mss.974.8.Sw2 
 Extent:  1 volume(s) 
 Topics:  Colonial Politics | Pennsylvania History | Philadelphia History 
 Genre:  General Correspondence | Official Government Documents and Records 
 Subjects:  Swedes -- United States 
6Author:  Rittenhouse, David, 1732-1796Requires cookie*
 Title:  David Rittenhouse Papers     
 Dates:  1774-1932 
 Abstract:  The David Rittenhouse Collection contains a variety of Rittenhouse-related documents from the Revolutionary era. Receipts, correspondence, and records of official government business compose much of it. A full inventory of the collection and its content is available on MOLE.

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 Call #:  Mss.SMs.Coll.11 
 Extent:  0.25 Linear Feet 
 Topics:  American Revolution | Colonial Politics | Government Affairs | Pennsylvania History | Philadelphia History 
 Genre:  Business Records and Accounts | General Correspondence | Official Government Documents and Records 
7Author:  VariousRequires cookie*
 Title:  Pennsylvania Stamp Act and Non-Importation Resolutions Collection     
 Dates:  1765-1775 
 Abstract:  This collection contains a range of documents on the imperial crisis in Philadelphia. Specifically, the documents focus on the Stamp Act and the Non-importation agreements of 1773. For the Stamp Act, there are many letters from John Hughes, the Stamp Tax collector. The letters detail his tribulations. There is also a large, oversize letter from John Hughes to the Commissioners of the Stamp Office in London defending his actions and outlining his experiences during the Stamp Act controversy (first page missing). The documents surrounding the 1773 boycott of tea in Philadelphia include detailed reports from commissioners appointed by residents to negotiate with the East India company officials and the testimony of the firm of James and Drinker who were designated distributors of the tea.

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 Call #:  Mss.973.2.M31 
 Extent:  2 volume(s) 
 Topics:  American Revolution | Colonial Politics | Government Affairs | Pennsylvania History | Philadelphia History 
 Genre:  Legal Records | Official Government Documents and Records | Political Correspondence | Printed Material 
 Subjects:  Non-importation agreements, 1768-1769 | Sons of Liberty | Stamp Act, 1765 | Tea tax (American colonies) 
8Author:  Pennsylvania. General AssemblyRequires cookie*
 Title:  Records concerning the early settlements on the Delaware River, 1630-1682, 1774     
 Dates:  1630-1774 
 Abstract:  The volume contains records relating to the history of Dutch settlers in the territories that the English acquired. These are copies of documents that are held at the State Archives. Many were originally in Dutch but were translated to English in this volume. The documents contain records from as early as 1638 and continue through Edmund Andros' term as governor of New England and ends in 1700. The documents include many official government proclamations and legal documents relating to Dutch property and their rights within English colonies.

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 Call #:  Mss.974.8.P37 
 Extent:  1 volume(s) 
 Topics:  Land and Speculation | Law | Pennsylvania History | Philadelphia History 
 Genre:  Official Government Documents and Records 
9Author:  Bartram, John, 1699-1777Requires cookie*
 Title:  John Bartram correspondence, 1735-1775     
 Dates:  1735-1775 
 Abstract:  The John Bartram Collection consists of typed transcriptions of originals held at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. The transcripts take up two volumes and are extensive.

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 Call #:  Mss.B.B28.w 
 Extent:  719 item(s) 
 Topics:  Colony and State Specific History | Natural history | Pennsylvania History | Philadelphia History 
 Genre:  General Correspondence | Scientific Correspondence 
 Subjects:  Botanists. | Botany. | Horticulture. | Horticulturists. | Natural history. | Plant collectors. | Plants -- Collection and preservation. 
10Author:  Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790Requires cookie*
 Title:  Franklin-Bache Papers     
 Dates:  1707-1799 
 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 available online at franklinpapers.org and in printed volumes. The APS inventory in MOLE is extraordinarily detailed. The aim of this entry is not to reproduce what is already readily accessible, but to focus on material that is unavailable in printed or online sources.

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 Call #:  Mss.B.F85.ba 
 Extent:  4 Linear Feet 
 Topics:  Colonial Politics | Colony and State Specific History | Pennsylvania History | Philadelphia History | Printing and Publishing 
 Genre:  Business Records and Accounts | Miscellaneous 
 Subjects:  Postal service -- United States | Printing -- France 
11Author:  Fox, George, 1759-1828Requires cookie*
 Title:  William Temple Franklin-George Fox Collection     
 Dates:  1791-1800 
 Abstract:  This collection of correspondence complements the much larger collection of William Temple Franklin Correspondence and the records and correspondence of George Fox, Franklin's business agent and executor. This collection contains a series of letters from William Temple Franklin to George Fox that begins in the 1791 when W.T. Franklin was in London and ends in 1800. Most of the letters deal with Franklin's business, especially his land speculations. There are two documents from Goveneur Morris that deal with business.

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 Call #:  Mss.B.F86f 
 Extent:  0.25 Linear Feet 
 Topics:  Americans Abroad | Land and Speculation | Pennsylvania History | Philadelphia History 
 Genre:  Business Records and Accounts 
 Subjects:  Real property -- Pennsylvania | Yellow fever -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia 
12Author:  Penn, William, 1644-1718Requires cookie*
 Title:  William Penn miscellaneous letters and documents, 1665-1801     
 Dates:  1665-1801 
 Abstract:  This collection of William Penn's miscellaneous documents and letters largely consists of material relating to the early settlement of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. There are also records that relate to William Penn's interests in the Jerseys. Most documents are from before 1710, although some do come after and some appear to be manuscript copies of older documents. Most of the documents are signed by or addressed to William Penn and have been published in various publications from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and in the Papers of William Penn.

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 Call #:  Mss.B.P38 
 Extent:  4 volume(s) 
 Topics:  Colonial Politics | Military History | Pennsylvania History | Philadelphia History | Seven Years' War 
 Genre:  Business Records and Accounts | Maps and Surveys | Official Government Documents and Records | Political Correspondence | Printed Material 
 Subjects:  Land speculation | Sugar. 
13Author:  Wyck AssociationRequires cookie*
 Title:  Wyck Association Collection     
 Dates:  1663-1972 
 Abstract:  The Wyck Collection is a massive collection that touches upon a number of early American themes. MOLE contains an extensive inventory of the collection. There are also binders with the collection that contain item level descriptions of the contents. The collection is particularly notable for its family correspondence, business records, and information on the operations of some Philadelphia institutions, such as the Academy of Natural Sciences.

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 Call #:  Mss.Ms.Coll.52 
 Extent:  151.5 Linear Feet 
 Topics:  Business and Skilled Trades | Early National Politics | Literature, Arts, and Culture | Marriage and Family Life | Pennsylvania History | Philadelphia History | Science and technology | Trade 
 Genre:  Business Records and Accounts | Family Correspondence | Institutional Records | Miscellaneous 
 Subjects:  Abolition, emancipation, freedom | Agriculture | Culture, community, organizations | Home economics -- United States -- Accounting | Horticulture | Philadelphia (Pa.) -- Social life and customs | Quakers | Race, race relations, racism | Reconstruction | Religion, religious organizations | Slaves, slavery, slave trade | Social conditions, social advocacy, social reform | Social problems. 
14Author:  Foulke, William Parker, 1816-1865Requires cookie*
 Title:  William Parker Foulke Papers, 1840-1865     
 Dates:  1840-1865 
 Abstract:  The William Parker Foulke Collection is one of the largest and richest collections at the APS. The collection, described and inventories in depth in MOLE, reflects the wide and varied interests of one of Philadelphia's most prominent 19th century citizens.

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 Call #:  Mss.B.F826 
 Extent:  3.75 Linear Feet 
 Topics:  Law | Literature, Arts, and Culture | Native America | Pennsylvania History | Philadelphia History | Science and technology 
 Genre:  General Correspondence | Legal Records | Literature | Manuscript Essays | Miscellaneous | Political Correspondence 
 Subjects:  Abolition, emancipation, freedom | Advance (Brig) | Africa, West -- Description and travel | American Academy of Music (Philadelphia, Pa.) | American Colonization Society | Antislavery movements -- Pennsylvania | Archaeology -- Pennsylvania | Arctic Regions -- Discovery and exploration | Colonization, repatriation | Dinosaurs -- New Jersey | Eastern State Penitentiary (Philadelphia, Pa.) | Freemasons -- Pennsylvania | Geological Survey of Pennsylvania | Geology -- Pennsylvania | Haviland, John, 1792-1852 | Hayes, I. I. (Isaac Israel), 1832-1881 | Kane, Elisha Kent, 1820-1857 | Lancaster (Penn.) County Prison | Lyceums -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia | Mesmerism | New York Prison Association | Pennsylvania -- Description and travel -- 19th century | Philadelphia -- History -- 19th century | Philadelphia Society For Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons | Prison reformers -- Pennsylvania | Prisons -- Design and construction | Prisons -- New York (State) | Prisons -- Pennsylvania | Reformers -- Pennsylvania | Slavery -- United States. | Social conditions, social advocacy, social reform | United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 | Wilson, John Wall 
16Author:  Smith FamilyRequires cookie*
 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 
17Author:  Vaux, George, V, 1721-1803Requires 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. 
18Author:  Shippen, EdwardRequires cookie*
 Title:  Edward Shippen letters and papers, 1727-1781     
 Dates:  1727-1781 
 Abstract:  The Edward Shippen Collection is composed of two discrete sections: two boxes of manuscripts and ten letter books. What follows is an overview of some of the most notable documents and themes in the correspondence.

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 Call #:  Mss.B.Sh62 
 Extent:  10 volume(s) 
 Topics:  American Revolution | Americans Abroad | Business and Skilled Trades | Colonial Politics | Education | International Travel | Marriage and Family Life | Military History | Pennsylvania History | Philadelphia History | Seven Years' War | Social Life and Custom | Surveying and Maps | Trade | Travel 
 Genre:  Business Records and Accounts | Family Correspondence | General Correspondence | Maps and Surveys | Military Records | Political Correspondence | Travel Narratives and Journals 
 Subjects:  Business and politics -- Pennsylvania. | Military supplies. | Real property -- Pennsylvania. 
19Author:  Bancker familyRequires cookie*
 Title:  Charles Nicoll Bancker family papers, 1733-1894     
 Dates:  1733-1894 
 Abstract:  This extensive collection (13 boxes) contains a range of correspondence, although the bulk of it relates to Charles Nicoll Bancker, a prominent Philadelphia businessman in the 1800s. The letters provide a picture of the family life and business career of Bancker from his earliest beginnings to his success later in life. Aside from the Charles Bancker portion of the collection, the holdings contain a wide variety of other documents, ranging from colonial era documents written in Dutch in Albany to letters from James Madison to Thomas Jefferson from the nineteenth century on religious education.

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 Call #:  Mss.B.B22.c 
 Extent:  3.25 Linear Feet 
 Topics:  American Revolution | Antebellum Politics | Business and Skilled Trades | Colonial Politics | Colony and State Specific History | Early National Politics | Education | Land and Speculation | Literature, Arts, and Culture | Marriage and Family Life | Pennsylvania History | Philadelphia History | Social Life and Custom | Trade | Travel | Women's History 
 Genre:  Business Records and Accounts | Family Correspondence | General Correspondence | Literature | Manuscript Essays | Political Correspondence | Sketchbooks | Travel Narratives and Journals 
 Subjects:  Insurance agents -- United States.