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Daniel Webster Collection

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Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Webster

Daniel Webster was a leading American statesman during the nation's Antebellum Period. A graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy and Dartmouth College, Webster was an attorney by training. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1812, serving two terms as the representative from New Hampshire's At-large District. Following his second term, Webster returned to his law practice, relocating from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to Boston, Massachusetts. In 1823, Webster reentered politics, serving from 1823 to 1827 as the member of the House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 1st District. Webster later served as United States senator from Massachusetts (1827-1841, 1845-1850) and was appointed secretary of state during the William Henry Harrison and Millard Fillmore administrations.

The collection consists of selected correspondence and documents of and about Daniel Webster, the leading American statesman during the nation's Antebellum Period. Correspondents include David A. Hall of the Bank of the United States, U.S. President Henry Harrison, Richard Lears, Esq., E. N. Sparhawk, F. C. Stainback, and John Ward. In a letter to Mrs. Henry Harrison, on behalf of the family of Robert Goodloe Harper, Webster requests to copy a photograph of Harper which was in the possession of Mrs. Harrison. In another letter, dated June 22, 1847, to James Carnahan, ninth president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), he regrets his inability to be present at the institution's centennial celebration. Included is a printed invitation, dated June 1851, signed by James Walker, Horatio Towne, G. H. Stone, and J. P. Huggins, inviting Webster to Massachusetts, and Webster's response to it. Also, there is a letter from John MacLean, tenth president of the College of New Jersey, asking Webster the favor of obtaining a passport for his stepson, Israel Garrard, to visit Europe, with Webster's response written at the top of the page.

The documents include two bank checks, signed by Webster, drawn on the Bank of the United States, one to E. Dyer & Co. and the other to Agnes Price, and minutes from a town meeting dated October 27, 1852, regarding the funeral of Daniel Webster. Other material included is a single autograph signature of Daniel Webster and a facsimile of a part of the address given by Webster on July 4, 1851, at the foundation of the addition to Capitol Hill.

The collection is organized by accession number.

The collection was formed as a result of a Departmental practice of combining into one collection material of various accessions relating to a particular person, family, or subject.

Autograph signature of Webster was the gift of Mrs. V. D. Collins in February 1899.

ALS to James Carnahan was the gift of Princeton Prof. H. C. Cameron on November 27, 1915.

ALS to John Ward was the gift of Edward F. Sutton, Princeton Class of 1895, on June 22, 1921.

Check to E. Dyer & Co. was the gift of Mrs. Henry Fairfield Osborne on April 16, 1926.

ALS to David Hall was the gift of William Brenton, Princeton Class of 1927, on June 21, 1927.

ALS to Lears and facsimile were the gift of the Estate of Mrs. Henry Burnett Taylor (Mr. Taylor was a member of the Princeton Class of 1874) presented through W. M. Rankin on June 21, 1943.

Check to Agnes Price was the gift of Charles Freeman Williams McClure, Princeton Class of 1888, on July 10, 1955.

ALS to F. C. Stainback was the gift of J. D. Gordon, Princeton Class of 1905, in November 1952.

Invitation to Massachusetts and response were the gift of Mrs. William Edward Hague (Mr. Hague was a member of the Princeton Class of 1904) on February 24, 1958.

ALS of John MacLean was the gift of James Duncan Pitney, Princeton Class of 1943, on May 26, 1965. Various AM.

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

This collection was processed by Dina Britain in 2008. Finding aid written on 22 October 2008. Folder Inventory added by Hilde Creager (2015) in 2012.

No appraisal information is available.

Publisher
Manuscripts Division
Finding Aid Date
2008
Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Collection Inventory

Autograph signature, undated. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Letter from Webster to General William Henry Harrison, Letter to Mrs. Harrison, 1840-1842. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Letter from Webster to James Carnahan, 1847 June 22. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Letter from Webster to John Ward, 1839 May 17. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Bank check payable to E. Dyer and Co. for $60.75 by Webster, 1834 October 11. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Letter from Webster to David A. Hall, 1851 May 29. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Letter from Webster to R. Lear, facsimile of a part of the Address at the foundation of the addition to Capitol Hill, 1830-1851. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Note from Webster to Mr. Sparhawk, undated. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Bank check payable to Agnes Price for $1,485.18 by Webster, 1824 July 8. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Letter from Webster to F.C. Stainback, 1852 February 13. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Letter from Webster to J.P. Walker and others, Letter from Walker to Webster, 1851 June. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Letter from John MacLean to Webster regarding Israel Garrard, 1852 March 2. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Minutes from a town meeting regarding the funeral of Webster, 1852 October 27. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

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