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Narrative Of The Captivity And Extreme Sufferings Of Mrs. Clarissa Plummer, Clarissa Plummer

Electronic Texts in American Studies

Wife of the late Mr. James Plummer, of Franklin County, State of New-York; who, with Mrs. Caroline Harris, wife of the late Mr. Richard Harris, were, in the Spring of 1835, with their unfortunate families, surprised and taken prisoners by a party of the Camanche tribe of Indians, while emigrating from said Franklin County (N.Y.) to. Texas; and after having been held nearly two years in captivity, and witnessed the deaths of their husbands, were fortunately redeemed from the hands of the savages by an American Fur Trader, a native of Georgia.

Mrs., Plummer was made prisoner and held in …

A Synopsis Of The Indian Tribes Within The United States East Of The Rocky Mountains, And In The British And Russian Possessions In North America, Albert Gallatin

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Published in the American Antiquarian Society's Archaeologia Americana, vol. 2, (1836), pp. 1-422.

A 208-page geographical, historical, and cultural introduction is followed by 214 pages of appendices of linguistic materials.

Sect. I. Indian Tribes north of the United States

Eskimaux.

Kinai, Koluschen, &c., on the Pacific Ocean

Athapascas, (Northern, Cheppeyans, Copper Mine, &c., Sussees, Tacullies)

Sect. II. Algonkin-Lenape and Iroquois,

Algonkin-Lenape

Northern (Knistinaux, Algonkins, Chippeways, Ottowas, Potowotamies, Mississagues)

Northeastern (Labrador, Micmacs, Etchemins, Abenakis)

Eastern (New England, Mohicans, Manhattans, Long Island, Delawares and Minsi, Nanticokes, Susquehannocks, Conoys, Powhatans, Mannahoks, Pamlicoes)

Western, (Menomonies, Sauks, Foxes, Kickapoos and Mascoutins, Miamis and …

Excerpt Of Sketches Of Pennsylvania From The Commercial Herald, July 1833, Unknown Author

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

A typed excerpt of an essay entitled "Sketches of Pennsylvania", originally appearing in the Commercial Herald and dated July 1833. Within, the author details the dialect and ways of life of the Pennsylvania Dutch in Lancaster County.

An Appeal In Favor Of That Class Of Americans Called Africans, Lydia Maria Child, Paul Royster (Editor)

Electronic Texts in American Studies

The roots of white supremacy lie in the institution of negro slavery. From the 15th through the 19th century, white Europeans trafficked in abducted and enslaved Africans and justified the practice with excuses that seemed somehow to reconcile the injustice with their professed Christianity. The United States was neither the first nor the last nation to abolish slavery, but its proclaimed principles of freedom and equality were made ironic by the nation’s reluctance to extend recognition to all Americans.

“Americans” is what Mrs. Child calls those fellow countrymen of African ancestry; citizenship and equality are what she proposed beyond simple …

Walker’S Appeal, In Four Articles; Together With A Preamble, To The Coloured Citizens Of The World, … (Boston, 1830), David Walker, Paul Royster , Editor & Depositor

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Walker’s Appeal ... is a radical antislavery and antiracist manifesto by a free American of African ancestry. Its bold denunciation of European culture was unprecedented, unrestrained, and startling, viz.:

“The whites have always been an unjust, jealous, unmerciful, avaricious and blood-thirsty set of beings, always seeking after power and authority.”

Walker attacks the slave system and its rampant racism from the viewpoint of America’s allegiance to the idea of freedom; he quotes the Declaration of Independence at length, and strikes a recognizably jeremiad note:

“O Americans! Americans!! I call God—I call angels— I call men, to witness, that your destruction …

List Of Enslaved People, Including Their Ages, At Spring Garden Plantation, Florida, 1829., Spring Garden Plantation

Broadus R. Littlejohn, Jr. Manuscript and Ephemera Collection

This item is a list of over 80 enslaved people of African descent at Spring Garden, a plantation in present-day DeLeon Springs State Park, Florida. The list notes the first names of enslave persons and their ages. Annotations indicate occupations and work assignments, family units, and if individuals were sent to Charleston or sold locally. The meaning of some annotations are unclear or at least not explicit, such as small circles next to females' names. Annotations indicate this list was used as reference more than once. One pair of twins is noted as are several infants. Reference to the names …

"The Barber's Ghost," January 7, 1825, Unknown Author

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

Typed copy of a folk tale appearing in the Chronicle of the Times of Reading, dated January 7, 1825. The unknown author tells the story of a man pretending to be a ghost in order to trick the gambling patrons at an inn and take their money.

Notes Geographical And Historical, Relating To The Town Of Brooklyn, In Kings County On Long-Island, Gabriel Furman

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Furman’s work is one of the earliest compilations of historical documents (with commentary) about an American city, in this case his native Brooklyn. It is an invaluable source of information on the early Dutch and English settlements of Brooklyn, Flatbush, Bushwick, New Lotts, Canarsie, Bedford, New Utrecht, Jamaica, and New Amsterdam, and their controversies with one another and with the Governors of New York and the crown of England. Included are original documents relative to the Indian purchases, original boundaries, water rights, ferry rights, wood rights, and forms of town government. Sections include: Situation of the Town of Brooklyn, Ancient …

Anecdote From The Chronicle Of The Times, July 30, 1823, Unknown Author

Alfred L. Shoemaker Folk Cultural Documents

A typed copy of a humorous anecdote taken from the Reading, Pennsylvania Chronicle of the Times, dated July 30, 1823. The tale concerns the occupation of grave diggers in the afterlife.

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 …

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.

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.

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

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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 …

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

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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 …

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.

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

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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 …

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

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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.

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.”

Ten Pound (£10) Note Of South Carolina Currency, 1775., Provincial Congress Of South Carolina, Gideon Dupont, Edward Blake, Thomas Corbett, Aaron Loocock, William Parker

Broadus R. Littlejohn, Jr. Manuscript and Ephemera Collection

This South Carolina certificate no. 36967 "entitles the bearer to Ten Pounds Current Money." Signed by Gideon Dupont, Aaron Loocock, Thomas Corbett, William Parker, and Edward Blake.

Bill And Receipt For Oak Scantling, 1775, Joseph Ogilby

Charles R. Roberts and Walter E. Boyer Collections

This handwritten bill and receipt, sent by Frederick Shingle of Philadelphia in 1775 and signed by Joseph Ogilby, records the cost of oak scantling.

The receipt was found in an account ledger attributed to Friederich Schenckel (d.1810).

Buckskin Breeches Order Slip, November 3, 1774, Daniel Richards

Charles R. Roberts and Walter E. Boyer Collections

This handwritten order slip, sent to Frederick Shingle of Philadelphia on November 3, 1774 by Daniel Richards, requests buckskin breeches for Richard Finemore.

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

Leather Breeches Order Slip, November 4, 1773, Michael M. Gannon

Charles R. Roberts and Walter E. Boyer Collections

This handwritten order slip, sent to Frederick Shingle of Philadelphia on November 4, 1773 by Michael M. Gannon, requests breeches for a slave named John Stagg.

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