Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Narrative Of The Most Extraordinary And Distressing Shipwreck Of The Whale-Ship Essex, Of Nantucket : Which Was Attacked And Finally Destroyed By A Large Spermaceti-Whale, In The Pacific Ocean : With An Account Of The Unparalleled Sufferings Of The Captain And Crew During A Space Of Ninety-Three Days At Sea, In Open Boats, In The Years 1819 & 1820, Owen Chase, Paul Royster, Ed.

Electronic Texts in American Studies

On November 20, 1820, the whale-ship Essex, out of Nantucket, was twice rammed by a sperm whale and sank in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The crew of twenty took refuge in three open whale-boats, and attempted to sail east toward the coasts of South America. The boats were eventually separated by storms and darkness, and after more than 90 days two of them, holding five survivors, were picked up by other ships; the third boat was never found.

First mate Owen Chase dictated this account of the fateful voyage, published in New York four months after his return to Nantucket. …

A Discourse, Delivered At Plymouth, December 22, 1820. In Commemoration Of The First Settlement Of New-England., Daniel Webster, Paul Royster , Ed.

Electronic Texts in American Studies

To celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Mayflower Pilgrims’ Landing at Plymouth Rock, Daniel Webster (1782–1852), former congressman and future senator and secretary of state, delivered this long discourse to the assembled members of the Pilgrim Society. Always the consummate New Englander, Webster sketched 200 years of American history, surveyed the present era, and projected grand future prospects for a nation barely 40 years old, but with deep roots in Reformed Protestant values and English constitutionalism. Underlying all was his belief that “The character of their political institutions was determined by the fundamental laws respecting property.” Webster’s stories highlight the …

Particulars Of The Capture Of The Spanish Ship Tryal, At The Island Of St. Maria; With The Documents Relating To That Affair., Amasa Delano, Paul Royster, Ed.

Electronic Texts in American Studies

Herman Melville used the incident narrated in Amasa Delano’s 1817 memoir A Narrative of Voyages and Travels as the basis for the story “Benito Cereno,” published in 3 installments in Putnam’s Monthly Magazine (October-December 1855). Melville’s story changed some names and details, and added rich descriptions and moral reflections, while dramatizing Captain Delano’s experience of offering aid to a ship in distress before discovering the situation was not what was first apprehended. Melville had similarly fictionalized a “found” document in writing the novel Israel Potter earlier that same year, but “Benito Cereno” gives a much darker picture of human relations, …

Copy Of Advertisements In The Marietta Pilot Newspaper, January 5, 1816, Marietta Pilot Newspaper

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

A typed set of advertisements found in The Marietta Pilot newspaper, dated January 5, 1816. Within, a wife named Catherine responds to a previous advertisement placed by her husband, John Galbaugh, which discredited her character. Catherine refutes her husband, claiming that he is the cause of any financial hardship they must endure.

Memoir Of Joshua Scottow (1816), "Sigma" (Pseudonym), Paul Royster (Transcribed And Deposited By)

Joshua Scottow Papers

The earliest known account of Scottow's life and writings. Length = 1500 words.

The Wonder Of Wonders, Or, The Remarkable Discovery Of An American Hermit; : Who Lived Upwards Of 200 Years, James Buckland, John Fielding

Albert A. Howard Book History Collection

Chapbook description:

The hermit was purportedly discovered by Capt. James Buckland and Mr. John Fielding, who in 1785 "agreed to travel into the western parts of this vast country, to explore the regions which belong to the United States which are yet unknown to us."

Printed in Kennebunk prior to Maine's statehood.

For more information, please refer to the library catalog.

Herald Of Gospel Liberty, Elias Smith

Books and Other Holy Spirit Artifacts

Touted as the "first religious newspaper" in North America, the Herald of Gospel Liberty was published by Elias Smith on September 1, 1808 in Massachusetts for the purpose of promoting the restoration of primitive Christianity to the church and for promoting religious liberty from government and ecclesiastical control. Smith was among a growing number of New England clergy who were promoting a return to primitive Christianity as a result of the Second Great Awakening in America. This first issue is one of the items held in Holy Spirit Research Center and is now available online. While this scan is not …

An Oration On The Abolition Of The Slave Trade; Delivered In The African Church In The City Of New-York, January 1, 1808, Peter Williams Jr

Zea E-Books in American Studies

The United States Constitution, Article 1, Section 9, prohibited Congress from banning the importation of slaves until the year 1808. A bill to do this was first introduced in Congress by Senator Stephen Roe Bradley of Vermont in December 1805, and its passage was recommended by President Jefferson in his annual message to Congress in December 1806. In March 1807, Congress passed the legislation, and President Thomas Jefferson signed it into law on March 3, 1807. Subsequently, on March 25, 1807, the British Parliament also passed an act banning the slave trade aboard British ships. The effective date of the …

An Oration On The Abolition Of The Slave Trade; Delivered In The African Church In The City Of New-York, January 1, 1808, Peter Williams Jr., Paul Royster (Editor)

Electronic Texts in American Studies

The United States Constitution, Article 1, Section 9, prohibited Congress from banning the importation of slaves until the year 1808. A bill to do this was first introduced in Congress by Senator Stephen Roe Bradley of Vermont in December 1805, and its passage was recommended by President Jefferson in his annual message to Congress in December 1806. In March 1807, Congress passed the legislation, and President Thomas Jefferson signed it into law on March 3, 1807. Subsequently, on March 25, 1807, the British Parliament also passed an act banning the slave trade aboard British ships.

The effective date of the …

County Tax Notice, 1803, Unknown

Charles R. Roberts and Walter E. Boyer Collections

This Philadelphia county tax notice, written to Frederick Shingle in 1803, assesses the amount of estate and personal taxes owed. It also notes the date of appeal at the Courthouse.

This notice was found in an account ledger attributed to Friederich Schenckel (d.1810).

The Nature And Importance Of True Republicanism With A Few Suggestions Favorable To Independence: A Discourse, Delivered At Rutland, (Vermont,) The Fourth Of July, 1801. — It Being The 25th Anniversary Of American Independence., Lemuel Haynes, Paul Royster , Ed.

Electronic Texts in American Studies

This intriguing document is a political 4th of July “discourse” by an African American New England Congregational ordained minister and Revolutionary War veteran from the very early years of the Republic. Lemuel Haynes’ personal history is an interesting story, as is his assessment of the progress, needs, and future prospects of the new nation. Ostensibly and formally, the discourse is about selecting leadership dedicated to serving the public welfare and avoiding men who seek office for personal preferment, power, or fame. Taking a text from the gospel of Luke, Haynes applies the advice of Jesus to his disciples to the …

Washington's Farewell Address: The President’S Address To The People Of The United States, Announcing His Intention Of Retiring From Public Life At The Expiration Of The Present Constitutional Term Of Presidency, George Washington

Electronic Texts in American Studies

This is a digital “facsimile” edition of a contemporary pamphlet version of President George Washington’s “Farewell Address,” first issued in the Philadelphia Daily Advertiser newspaper on September 19, 1796. Co-authored with James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, it expresses Washington’s decision to decline a third term of the presidency and offers his parting advice to his “friends and fellow-citizens.”

Washington’s “farewell address” emphasizes the importance of Union, the danger of partisanship, the threat of parties allied to foreign countries or interests, the accomplishment of a national government, the precedence of national over sectional interests, the maintenance of the public credit, the …

Letter From Josiah Masters To John Reade About An Enslaved Man Named Dick Whom (Masters) Wishes To Sell. New York, 1796., Josiah Masters

Broadus R. Littlejohn, Jr. Manuscript and Ephemera Collection

Masters writes to Reade that Dick "has been somewhat uneasy with me, the first cause [was] my separating his wench from him."

"The lowest price is one hundred pounds."

Addressed to Reade in Poughkeepsie, NY.

'Farewell' Address To The People Of The United States, Announcing His Intention Of Retiring From Public Life At The Expiration Of The Present Constitutional Term Of Presidency, George Washington

Zea E-Books in American Studies

President George Washington’s farewell address “To the People of the United States” was delivered to the public through the medium of the Philadelphia Daily Advertiser newspaper and was immediately reprinted in other newspapers and in pamphlet form throughout the country, and in England, Ireland, and Scotland as well. All contemporary editions derived directly or indirectly from the Daily Advertiser newspaper source.

The composition of the address was a collaborative effort, with James Madison co-authoring with Washington an early draft that was reviewed and revised at least twice to incorporate suggestions by Alexander Hamilton. The final draft, in Washington’s handwriting, was …

The Remarkable Adventures Of Jackson Johonnet, Of Massachusetts (1793), Jackson Johonnet, Paul Royster , Editor

Electronic Texts in American Studies

“Who served as a Soldier in the Western Army, in the Massachusetts Line, in the Expedition under General HARMAR, and the unfortunate General St. CLAIR. Containing An Account of his CAPTIVITY, SUFFERINGS, and ESCAPE from the KICKAPOO INDIANS. WRITTEN BY HIMSELF, And published at the earnest Importunity of his Friends, for the benefit of AMERICAN YOUTH.”

This is a spurious captivity narrative that enjoyed much popularity in the mid-1790s and was thereafter incorporated into the “canonical” body of accounts of white imprisonments, tortures, sufferings, and escapes from the Native Americans.

The narrative tells the story of “Jackson Johonnet,” a young …

The Conspiracy Of Kings; A Poem: Addressed To The Inhabitants Of Europe, From Another Quarter Of The World., Joel Barlow, John D. Baird

Electronic Texts in American Studies

The Conspiracy of Kings, published in February 1792, is very much a work of its time, the first months of the constitional monarchy in France. Louis XVI and the new Legislative Assembly began their uneasy relationship in October 1792. Outside France, exiled members of the nobility campaigned to persuade the sovereigns of Europe to intervene and restore them to their privileges. On the other side, friends of the French Revolution sought to discourage intervention and to discredit the principles of legitimacy and social hierarchy that supported the old order.

Joel Barlow had arrived in France in 1788 to act …

The Bill Of Rights: A Transcription, First Congress Of The United States

Pandemic Response and Religion in the USA: Law and Public Policy

No abstract provided.

Warrant For Samuel Courtauld Signed By Thomas Heyward Jr., June 13, 1788., Thomas Heyward Jr., State Of South Carolina

Broadus R. Littlejohn, Jr. Manuscript and Ephemera Collection

Thomas Heyward signs a warrant for Samuel Courtauld for the collection of a debt owed to Josiah Smith, Daniel Desaussure and Edward Darrell in Charleston, SC, in 1788.

The Printer's Grammar, John Smith

Zea E-Books in American Studies

Containing a Concise History of the Origin of Printing; Also an examination of the Superficies, Gradation, and Properties of the Different Sizes of Types cast by Letter Founders; Various Tables of Calculation; Models of Letter Cases; Schemes for Casting off Copy and Imposing; and many other Requisites for attaining a perfect Knowledge both in the Theory and Practice of the Art of Printing. With Directions to Authors, Compilers, &c. How to Prepare Copy, and to Correct their own Proofs. Chiefly collected from [John] Smith's Edition. To which are added Directions for Pressmen, &c. The whole calculated for the Service of …

An Address To The Negroes In The State Of New-York, Jupiter Hammon

Zea E-Books in American Studies

Hammon’s Address, published in New York and Philadelphia in 1787, is a simple but eloquent set of Christian advice and reflections. To his fellow Negroes who are enslaved, Hammon advises obedience to masters, honesty and faithfulness, and the avoidance of profaneness. Among his strongest recommendations is that Negroes make every effort learn to read and use that knowledge to study the Bible. Hammon’s focus is on eternity, judgment, redemption, and God’s governance of the world.

Yet Hammon’s appeal is no apology for the slave system, but rather a modulated and astute assessment of the social and power relations between blacks …

An Address To The Negroes In The State Of New-York (1787), Jupiter Hammon, Paul Royster (Editor)

Electronic Texts in American Studies

Hammon’s Address, published in New York and Philadelphia in 1787, is a simple but eloquent set of Christian advice and reflections. To his fellow Negroes who are enslaved, Hammon advises obedience to masters, honesty and faithfulness, and the avoidance of profaneness. Among his strongest recommendations is that Negroes make every effort to learn to read and to use that knowledge to study the Bible. Hammon’s focus is on eternity, judgment, redemption, and God’s governance of the world.

Yet Hammon’s appeal is no apology for the slave system, but rather a modulated and astute assessment of the social and power relations …

List Of Prisoners In Jail, Worcester, Massachusetts, September 6, 1785., Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Broadus R. Littlejohn, Jr. Manuscript and Ephemera Collection

List of prisoners "confined in the common goal in Worcester in the County of Worcester," September 6, 1785. Next to the prisoners' names are the charges for which they are confined.

List Of Prisoners In Jail, Worcester, Massachusetts, June 6, 1785., Worcester County

Broadus R. Littlejohn, Jr. Manuscript and Ephemera Collection

List of prisoners "confined in the Common Goal in Worcester." List includes names of prisoners and charges for which they were imprisoned.

The Discovery, Settlement And Present State Of Kentucke, John Filson

Zea E-Books in American Studies

This is an open-access electronic text edition of Filson’s seminal work on the early history of Kentucky, including the first published account of the life and adventures of Daniel Boone. Filson’s work was an unabashedly optimistic account of the western territory, where Filson had acquired large land claims, whose value he sought to enhance by the publication of this advertisement and incitement for further settlement. Scarcely two years after the violent and tragic British and Indian invasion of 1782, Filson portrayed Kentucky as a natural paradise, where peace, plenty, and security reigned. Of some significance is Filson’s recognition that the …

The Discovery, Settlement And Present State Of Kentucke (1784) : An Online Electronic Text Edition, John Filson, Paul Royster (Editor)

Electronic Texts in American Studies

This is an open-access electronic text edition of Filson’s seminal work on the early history of Kentucky, including the first published account of the life and adventures of Daniel Boone. Filson’s work was an unabashedly optimistic account of the western territory, where Filson had acquired large land claims, whose value he sought to enhance by the publication of this advertisement and incitement for further settlement. Scarcely two years after the violent and tragic British and Indian invasion of 1782, Filson portrayed Kentucky as a natural paradise, where peace, plenty, and security reigned. Of some significance is Filson’s recognition that the …

Account Of Services Performed And Money Due Ignatius Goulding, 1783 And 1788, Worcester, Massachusetts., Worcester County, Ignatius Goulding

Broadus R. Littlejohn, Jr. Manuscript and Ephemera Collection

Debit account detailing money due Ignatius Goulding by Worcester County for services performed and expenses incurred.

The United States Elevated To Glory And Honor (1783), Ezra Stiles D.D., Reiner Smolinski , Editor

Electronic Texts in American Studies

Stiles' best-known work is this 1783 election sermon, which was delivered at Hartford, Connecticut, at the annual election of the governor, state representatives, and senators. True to the spirit of his Puritan ancestors, Stiles sounds a number of time-honored American themes newly adapted to the rising prospects of the young United States of America. What was once a tribal Errand into the Wilderness of New England Stiles now translates into God’s federal covenant with all citizens of the United States—no matter what their parochial creed or particular denomination: “The political welfare of God’s American Israel” is “allusively prophetic of the …

Request By Grand Jury To Court Of Sessions To Order Treasurer To Give The Jurors Their "Note Upon Interest" In Payment For Their Service, Worcester, Massachusetts, December 7, 1781., Ephraim Doolittle

Broadus R. Littlejohn, Jr. Manuscript and Ephemera Collection

A grand jury in Worcester, Massachusetts requests arrangements be made for their payment in light of the fact that the County Treasurer "has not money in store to pay them."

Record From The Second Continental Congress Ordering That The Secret Committee Produce A List Of Articles Ordered, Signed By Charles Thomson, January 17, 1777., United States. Continental Congress, Charles Thomson

Broadus R. Littlejohn, Jr. Manuscript and Ephemera Collection

Order that “the secret committee” produce a “list of the articles [....] which they have ordered in consequences of the directions of Congress distinguishing how much is arrived + what is expected.”

God Arising And Pleading His People’S Cause ; Or The American War In Favor Of Liberty, Against The Measures And Arms Of Great Britain, Shewn To Be The Cause Of God (1777), Abraham Keteltas, Reiner Smolinski , Editor

Electronic Texts in American Studies

ABRAHAM KETELTAS (1732-98) was raised by Protestant parents in New York and New Rochelle, where he spent much of his time among the communities of Huguenots in the area. Becoming fluent in French early on, he later studied theology at Yale, where he earned his degree in 1752, followed by his preacher’s license in 1756. From 1757 until his dismissal in 1760, Keteltas supplied the pulpit of the Presbyterian church in Elizabethtown, New Jersey. He then served as an itinerant preacher to the Dutch and Huguenot parishes in Jamaica and Long Island, New York, where he gained much popular support. …