Lilly Library Manuscript Collections

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COLONIAL AMERICA-RELATED COLLECTIONS

This list gives the collection name, date range and number of items in a collection followed by a very brief description of the contents of the collection. All of these collections are related to Colonial America.

ALSTROMER MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1779-1784 and 1865
• ITEM COUNT: 184 items
• The Alstromer mss. are a series of newsletters in French addressed mostly to Baron Alstromer of Sweden. The newsletters have been characterized as gossipy accounts from the courts of Europe, events reported include the American Revolution with the names of Benjamin Franklin, Paul Jones, Lafayette and Washington mentioned.

AMERICAN LITERATURE MSS.

• The American literature mss. consist of individual items acquired from a variety of sources. Of particular interest is "Concord Fight", written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, generally known as "Concord Hymn", this poem describes the battle of Concord and Lexington.

BLAIR, M.A.I. MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1684-1897
• ITEM COUNT: 235 items
• The M.A.I. Blair mss. consist of letters and documents which had been collected by Mrs. Blair and mounted as extra- illustrations in Washington Irving, The Life of George Washington.

INDIANA HISTORY MSS.

• The Indiana History mss. consists of correspondence, diaries, minutes, financial records acquired from various sources. Of particular interest is an alphabetical biographical list, "Revolutionary soldiers buried in Indiana", Dec. 12, 1915.

KING MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1815-1863
• ITEM COUNT: 94 items
• The King mss. consist of letters of Rufus King, member of the Continental Congress and of the Constitutional Convention, U.S. senator and minister to Great Britain, and members of his family.

LAFAYETTE MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1572-1957
• The Lafayette mss. consist of correspondence and papers assembled around the central figure of Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, general. Included are his contemporaries of the American Revolution period, among these are 8 members of the Albany Conference of 1754, 36 of the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence, 27 of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and the Presidents of the U.S. from George Washington to Martin Van Buren.

MAYHEW MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1775-1782
• ITEM COUNT: 14 items
• The Mayhew mss. consist of letters written to Betsy Mayhew by Mary or Polly, sometimes referred to as Myra Palmer. Several of the letters give details of the early skirmishes of the American Revolution, particularly the Battle of Lexington and other timely topics.

MEIGS MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1794-1831
• ITEM COUNT: 85 items
• The Meigs mss. are letters and papers of Return Jonathan Meigs, governor of Ohio, U.S. senator, and postmaster general during the administrations of Presidents James Madison and James Monroe. Of particular interest is an undated document recounting the Revolutionary War service of Return Jonathan Meigs, Senior.

SHARPE MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1733-1755
• ITEM COUNT: 30 items
• The Sharpe mss. consist of papers "from the law office of John Sharpe, legal representative of the 'Sugar Planters and Merchants Trading to and Interested in His Majesty's Sugar Colonies,' relating to the enforcement of the 'Molasses Act' of 1733."

SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1756-1790
• ITEM COUNT: 56 items
• The Signers of the Declaration of Independence mss. consist of autographs of all the Signers of the Declaration of Independence. This set is believed to have been completed as early as 1848, thus ranking as one of the first five completed sets.

U.S. HISTORY MSS.

• The U.S. History mss. consist of manuscripts in American history which have been acquired from various sources. There are numerous items from the Colonial period. Contact the Manuscripts Department for further information.

VERNON MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1737-1740
• The Vernon mss. are contemporary copies and extracts of letters to and from Edward Vernon, admiral, with the Great Britain Navy Board. Of particular interest are official orders from London for the raising of colonial troops in America, some to be under the command of Governor Alexander Spotswood of Virginia, the defense of the colonies of Carolina and Georgia from the French and Spanish, and the landing of Colonel Oglethorpe's regiment in Georgia.

WILLIAMS, JONATHAN MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1738-1869
• ITEM COUNT: 7,203 items
• The Williams, Jonathan mss. consist of letters and papers of Jonathan Williams, 1750-1815, merchant and soldier, grand- nephew of Benjamin Franklin and first superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. In 1776 Williams joined Benjamin Franklin in France and was appointed by the commissioners of the Continental Congress as their agent at Nantes, he remained in Europe engaged in various business ventures until Franklin returned home in 1785. For the period of Williams' sojourns in Europe there are some accounts, business letters, memos, etc., relating to his commercial activities and scientific papers. Material connected with Benjamin Franklin includes a journal of a tour made by Franklin, Williams and Jan Ingenhousz in 1771 to observe manufacturing in England, letters of Franklin to Williams Senior and Junior. Also included is Jonathan Williams, Senior records of his transactions as agent for Massachusetts Bay for the Continental lottery of 1776.