Letters Home From Congress
Collection Overview
This collection features letters home from Warren R. Austin (Senator, 1931-1946), Jacob Collamer (Representative, 1843-1848; Senator, 1855-1865), and Samuel C. Crafts (Representative, 1817-1824; Senator, 1842-1843). The letters document travel to...
Show moreThis collection features letters home from Warren R. Austin (Senator, 1931-1946), Jacob Collamer (Representative, 1843-1848; Senator, 1855-1865), and Samuel C. Crafts (Representative, 1817-1824; Senator, 1842-1843). The letters document travel to and from Washington by horse, boat, train, and airplane; lodging in boarding houses, hotels, and homes; social life in Washington; significant local and national events; and legislative issues under consideration in Congress. Austin's letters are particularly strong in their coverage of his frustration at being a Senator in the minority party during the era of Roosevelt and the New Deal; his activities on the Judiciary Committee; and foreign affairs questions such as the Neutrality Act. The letters of Crafts and Collamer both extensively cover the question of slavery, discussing Missouri statehood, John Brown, the annexation of Texas, and the Civil War. All three Congressmen frequently discuss questions regarding appropriations and the Federal budget. Biographical information is available from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, at: http://bioguide.congress.gov/biosearch/biosearch.asp
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(21 - 40 of 64)
Pages
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- Letter to Eunice Todd Crafts, February 12, 1821
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Letter to wife. Topics include health of son Samuel P. Crafts; health of members of Congress; votes on admitting Missouri to the United States with slaves failed by three and six votes on successive days.
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- Letter to Eunice Todd Crafts, February 19, 1821
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Letter to wife. Topics include health of Crafts family; coming inauguration of President Monroe; death of Representative William Burwell (VA).
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- Letter to Eunice Todd Crafts, February 20, 1820
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Letter to wife. Topics include speeches in the House about Missouri.
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- Letter to Eunice Todd Crafts, February 6, 1819
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Letter to wife. Topics include duel between General Mason and Captain McCarty of Virginia over a political quarrel resulting in the death of General Mason; debate over censure of General Andrew Jackson over his engagement of the war in Florida.
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- Letter to Eunice Todd Crafts, January 1, 1819
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Letter to wife. Topics include activities of a Congressman; constituent business; death of Representative George Mumford (NC); society events hosted by the President, and the British and French ministers.
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- Letter to Eunice Todd Crafts, January 22, 1821
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Letter to wife. Topics include health of son Samuel P. Crafts; health of residents of Crafts' boarding house in Washington, DC; health of members of Congress, with four dead.
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- Letter to Eunice Todd Crafts, March 12, 1820
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Letter to wife. Topics include Missouri and slavery; Federal deficit and Government spending; Representative Henry W. Edwards (CT) and the Connecticut delegation; Representative Timothy Pitkin (CT); Representative Samuel B. Sherwood (CT)
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- Letter to Eunice Todd Crafts, March 26, 1820
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Letter to wife. Topics include mail robbery north of Baltimore; duel between Commodore Stephen Decatur and Commodore James Barron resulting in the death of Decatur; Decatur's funeral.
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- Letter to Eunice Todd Crafts, May 8, 1820
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Letter to wife. Topics include adjournment of Congress.
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- Letter to Eunice Todd Crafts, November 12, 1820
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Letter to wife. Topics include traveling to Washington; members of Congress arriving in Washington; boarding houses.
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- Letter to Eunice Todd Crafts, November 19, 1820
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Letter to wife. Topics include travel; boarding houses; Senator William Palmer (VT), Representative Charles Rich (VT), Judge Livermore (NH), Mr. Phelps & Mr. Stevens of Connecticut; election of Speaker of the House; constitution of Missouri & slavery.
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- Letter to Eunice Todd Crafts, November 27, 1820
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Letter to wife. Topics include social life; parties hosted by Secretary of War John Calhoun and Secretary of State John Quincy Adams; President James Monroe.
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- Letter to James A. Paddock, April 7, 1822
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Topics include newspaper coverage of Congress; length and slowness of current session.
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- Letter to Mary Hill, July 10, 1842
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Letter to daughter. Topics include attendance at Church meeting; heavy work load in the Senate, including committee work and constituent business.
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- Letter to Matilda Corbin, July 7, 1842
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Letter to sister. Topics include 4th of July festivities including processions by Juvenile Temperance Societies, Sabbath School Societies, and black Sabbath School children numbering near five hundred.
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- Letter to Nathan and Mary Hill, April 30, 1842
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Letter to daughter and son-in-law. Topics include traveling to Washington, DC from Craftsbury, Vermont; oath of office in the Senate; Senator Phelps (VT).
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- Letter to Nathan and Mary Hill, August 1, 1842
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Letter to daughter and son-in-law. Topics include enclosed seating chart of the Senate chamber with the seats of the members.
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- Letter to Nathan and Mary Hill, August 14, 1842
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Letter to daughter and son-in-law. Topics include veto of Tariff Bill by President Tyler; Southern and Western Whig opinions to leave Washington without a Tariff Bill leaving the Federal Government without revenue; strategy meetings of Whigs from the Senate and House; idea to give up on public...
Show moreLetter to daughter and son-in-law. Topics include veto of Tariff Bill by President Tyler; Southern and Western Whig opinions to leave Washington without a Tariff Bill leaving the Federal Government without revenue; strategy meetings of Whigs from the Senate and House; idea to give up on public lands piece of Tariff Bill; treaty between Great Britain and the United States is before the Senate, with possible Locofoco (Democrat) opposition to it; the treaty settles boundary questions from St. Croix to the Rocky Mountains.
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- Letter to Nathan and Mary Hill, August 21, 1842
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Letter to daughter and son-in-law. Topics include treaty between Great Britain and the United States finally approved by the Senate after four long days of discussion, surmounting strong opposition by a vote of 39 to 9; continued deadlock on Tariff Bill; Treasury statement to the House stating...
Show moreLetter to daughter and son-in-law. Topics include treaty between Great Britain and the United States finally approved by the Senate after four long days of discussion, surmounting strong opposition by a vote of 39 to 9; continued deadlock on Tariff Bill; Treasury statement to the House stating that all funds on hand had been expended and asking for authority for more Treasury Notes; impact of governmental inaction on the Tariff Bill on factories and the importation of foreign goods.
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- Title
- Letter to Nathan and Mary Hill, August 7, 1842
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Letter to daughter and son-in-law. Topics include Tariff Bill passed by Senate and sent to the President; efforts by Locofocos (Democrats) to oppose the Tariff Bill; Senate split on Tariff bill with twenty-five Whigs for, twenty Locofocos (Democrats) against, and five southern Whigs against, but...
Show moreLetter to daughter and son-in-law. Topics include Tariff Bill passed by Senate and sent to the President; efforts by Locofocos (Democrats) to oppose the Tariff Bill; Senate split on Tariff bill with twenty-five Whigs for, twenty Locofocos (Democrats) against, and five southern Whigs against, but Senator John Henderson (MS) was absent and Senator John Berrien (GA) did not vote; discussions about whether President Tyler will sign the bill what will happen if it is vetoed; treaty between Great Britain and the United States; Government band which plays in front of the Capitol every Thursday and at the Presidents on Saturday evenings; theatre performances; public gardens; Locofocos (Democrats) in Vermont.
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