Search

Personal letters written by Phoenix to friends and associates, and letters which Phoenix collected as autograph specimens, ranging in date from 1554 (Melanchthon) to 1933 (Franklin D. Roosevelt). Over half of Phoenix's own letters are addressed to Josiah Collins Pumpelly (1839-1920), many others are to Henry Thayer Drowne (1822-1897). The material is dated from various places in the United States and Europe and contains accounts of Phoenix's travels and comments on yachting, books, the theater, and friends. There is a series of Presidential letters ranging from Washington to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Also, an engraved portrait of Phoenix.

Correspondence, manuscripts of poems, and manuscripts of lectures by Benjamin. The correspondence consists of original letters of Benjamin, typescript and photostatic copies of Benjamin letters in other libraries, and letters to Benjamin from some of his literary contemporaries including Paul Hamilton Hayne, Willis Gaylord Clark, John Lothrop Motley, and Fitz-Greene Halleck. Many of the letters relate to Park Benjamin's lecture tours. There are other family letters and many documents relating to the Benjamin family,and two letterbooks of John Lothrop Motley. Also, a large amount of genealogical material of the Benjamin family, and its related families from the 16th century to the present day. There are also financial records, monographs, clippings, and photographs.

A collection of letters and documents pertaining to the American Revolution, or to personages who figured in it. Among the persons represented in the collection are John Adams, Edmund Burke, Aaron Burr, Lord Cornwallis, Benjamin Franklin, Nathanael Greene, John Hancock, Patrick Henry, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, John Paul Jones, Marquis de Lafayette, Henry Brockholst Livingston, Robert Morris, William Pitt, Benjamin Rush, Baron von Steuben, and George Washington. The largest group of manuscripts in the collection is the sixteen letters of Henry Laurens, the South Carolina planter, and his son, John Laurens, among which is a magnificent "manumission letter" written by Henry Laurens to his son on 14 August 1776, barely a month after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. For the text of this letter see: A LETTER FROM HENRY LAURENS TO HIS SON JOHN LAURENS, AUGUST 14, 1776.

A collection of letters and documents pertaining to the American Revolution, or to personages who figured in it. Among the persons represented in the collection are John Adams, Edmund Burke, Aaron Burr, Lord Cornwallis, Benjamin Franklin, Nathanael Greene, John Hancock, Patrick Henry, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, John Paul Jones, Marquis de Lafayette, Henry Brockholst Livingston, Robert Morris, William Pitt, Benjamin Rush, Baron von Steuben, and George Washington. The largest group of manuscripts in the collection is the sixteen letters of Henry Laurens, the South Carolina planter, and his son, John Laurens, among which is a "manumission letter" written by Henry Laurens to his son on 14 August 1776, shortly after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. For the text of this letter see: A LETTER FROM HENRY LAURENS TO HIS SON JOHN LAURENS, AUGUST 14, 1776.

Letters, manuscripts, documents, and letterbooks of Jay and of many members of his family. The letters touch on every aspect of American life and government of the period, and contain correspondence from such prominent individuals as John Adams, George Clinton, James Duane, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Rufus King, John Paul Jones, Marquis de Lafayette, Robert B. Livingston, William Livingston, Gouverneur Morris, Robert Morris, Edmund Randolph, Philip Schuyler, and George Washington. There are approximately 500 letters from Jay, primarily drafts of correspondence to the persons listed above, as well as his correspondence as Secretary of Foreign Affairs, 1784-1789. The manuscripts and documents include many reports, commissions, and diplomas, as well as a draft copy of THE FEDERALIST Number 5 and Jay's oath of office as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court; also included are manumission documents, and a group of documents from Trinity Church, where his father was a vestryman from 1715 to 1785. The collection includes copies of Jay's letter book as Secretary of State, 10 Oct. 1788-25 Dec. 1792, and of four letters from John Armstrong, 19 June-27 Dec. 1810; and a copy of the pair of silverplated candlesticks from the Treaty of Paris, 3 Sept. 1783, reproduced by the Smithsonian Institution.

Office records for the publication project, and photocopies and microfilm copies of Jay letters and related documents.

Correspondence and legal and business papers of Peter Van Schaack and his family. The collection includes letters to and from Egbert Benson, Henry Cruger, James Duane, William Laight, Theodore Sedgwick, Peter Silvester, John Vardill, and many others. The letters deal with such subjects as taxation, the siege of Boston, George Washington, Tories, the Jay Treaty, Shays' Rebellion, and the many prominent people with whom Van Schaack was acquainted, including the Jay family and Gouverneur Morris. There is a large number of letters to and from his brother, Henry Van Schaack (1733-1823). The correspondence contains many political and social opinions regarding America and England before, during, and after the Revolutionary War. Many of the legal documents concern the disputed claims to the Van Rensselaer properties in Claverack and Westenhook, N.Y., as well as land claims around Kinderhoek, N.Y. Henry Cruger Van Schaack added to the collection more letters from well-known people as well as legal and family papers. These are mostly dated in the mid-19th century, and deal in part with the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, the Berkshire Iron Works, and similar business ventures. Many documents are Colonial-era deeds or concern early land disputes such as the New York-Massachusetts boundary dispute.

The collection is equally divided between letters written by members of the Otis family and letters and documents relating to them. The earlist item is a 17th century marriage settlement and there are a few letters written in the 19th century. The bulk of the collection, however is from the second half of the 18th century. The largest number of letters were written by Joseph Otis (1726-1810), his brother Samuel Allyne Otis (1740-1814), and their father, James Otis (1702-1778). There are a few letters from and relating to Joseph's more famous brother, James Otis of Boston (1725-1783) who was one of the more colorful and incendiary figures in pre-revolutionary New England. Also, letters and documents of George Washington, John Bradford, Josiah Quincy, and Edward Wigglesworth. The letters deal largely with legal and business matters, but there is some comment on events of contemporary interest.

Correspondence between William Samuel Johnson, 1727-1819, and his son Robert Charles Johnson, 1766-1806, concerning personal business in Connecticut and a father's advice to a young man entering his law career. Some of the father's letters of special interest were written during his term as U.S. Senator (1791), and some concern British-French trade relations, 1793. There are also copies of letters to Johnson from Cadwallader Colden, Silas Deane, James Duane, John Fitch, Jonathan Trumbull, and William Williams. Other letters have been added

Letters written to Gouverneur Morris from many of his contemporaries including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, John Paul Jones, Nathaniel Greene, Philip Schuyler, Robert Morris, George Plater, William Short, William T. Franklin, and Thomas Pinckney. Letters from Gouverneur Morris to George Washington, John Jay, Lafayette, Philip Schuyler, Nathaniel Greene, and others. Personal correspondence from Madame Foucault, John Parish, and others. Manuscripts and documents relating to events in which Morris was a participant or interested party such as the Genet Affair and the "Lost Million" Affair; diplomatic correspondence with French ministers of foreign affairs, 1792-1794, and miscellaneous articles and reports by Morris, many on public finance and economics.