August 4, 1819

Brooks, John, 1752-1825

Manuscript document

Title: [Proclamation relating to separation of Maine from Massachusetts]

Marked "Copy." Written in clerical hand and signed by Brooks as Governor of Massachusetts. Co-signature of Alden Bradford, Secretary of the Commonwealth. Proclamation announced after an act was passed on 19 June 1819 which separated Maine from Massachusetts. That act allowed for town meetings on the fourth Monday in July to vote on the question " Is it expedient that the District of Maine shall become a separate and independent State upon the terms and conditions provided in the Act aforesaid?" The 19 June act also stated votes should be returned to the office of the Secretary of the…

GLC03794.01

10 May 1920

Staunton, Sidney A., fl. 1867-1920

Typed letter signed

Title: to Rebecca Pickering Walker

1 page cover letter written and signed by Rear Admiral Staunton, a former colleague and friend of the late Rear Admiral John G. Walker, to Walker's widow Rebecca. Followed by 3 pages of typed reminiscences by Staunton. Cover letter says that he is working from his memory with no journal or letters to help him. Hopes the recollections will be of use to her son. The recollections start after 1867 when Walker was at the Naval Academy on the staff of Admiral Porter, go through his service during the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands, and finish with Walker's service on the Isthmian Canal…

GLC03804.49

7 April 1856

Morehead, C.S., 1802-1868

Pamphlet

Title: Resolutions of the Legislature of Kentucky, in relation to the Missouri Compromise, Kansas-Nebraska Act, &c.

House of Representatives mis. doc. no. 90 (34th Congress, 1st session). Morehead, Governor of Kentucky, attests these resolutions were adopted by the general assembly of Kentucky in December 1855. Reprinted by Congress April 1856. Kentucky resolves to "maintain the existing laws upon the subject of slavery" and opposes repeal of the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

GLC08452.01

6 May 1856

Chase, Salmon P. (Salmon Portland), 1808-1873

Pamphlet

Title: Resolutions of the Legislature of Ohio, in reference to the affairs of Kansas.

House of Representatives mis. doc. no. 100 (34th Congress, 1st session). Chase, Governor of Ohio, asserts these resolutions were passed by the legislature of Ohio in April 1856. Reprinted by Congress May 1856. Ohio resolves "That the cause of the people of Kansas, engaged in defending themselves against lawless violence and in asserting their inherent right of self-government, be, and hereby is, earnestly commended to the warm sympathies of the people of Ohio."

GLC08452.02

13 May 1856

Willard, Charles W., 1827-1880

Pamphlet

Title: Resolutions of the Legislature of Vermont, in relation to Kansas.

House of Representatives mis. doc. no. 103 (34th Congress, 1st session). Willard, Secretary of State for Vermont, certifies these as a true copy of resolutions passed by Vermont in December 1855. Reprinted by Congress in May 1856. "Resolved, that the fugitive slave act of 1850 is contrary to the spirit of the Constitution of the United States..."

GLC08452.03

14 June 1856

Gardner, Henry J. (Henry Joseph), 1819-1892

Pamphlet

Title: Resolutions of the Legislature of Massachusetts, in relation to the Territory of Kansas.

House of Representatives mis. doc. no. 120 (34th Congress, 1st session). Gardner, Governor of Massachusetts, approved these resolutions 3 June 1856. Reprinted by Congress 14 June 1856. "...the inhabitants of Kansas are justifiable in declining to recognise the code of laws which was forced upon the Territory by the act of a body of men calling themselves a legislature..."

GLC08452.04

14 June 1856

Bartlett, John Russell, 1805-1886

Pamphlet

Title: Resolutions of the Legislature of Rhode Island, concerning the recent occurrences in Congress and in Kansas.

House of Representatives mis. doc. no. 119. (34th Congress, 1st session). Bartlett, Secretary of State for Rhode Island, certifies these to be a true copy of resolutions passed in by the Rhode Island Legislature in May. Reprinted by Congress June 1856. Condemns Senator Preston Brooks's attack on Charles Sumner in May 1856 and violence recently inflicted on residents of Kansas by border ruffians.

GLC08452.05

20 June 1856

Wells, Samuel, 1801-1868

Pamphlet

Title: Resolutions of the Legislature of Maine in relation to the extension of slavery, Kansas, and secret political associations.

House of Representatives mis. doc. no. 122 (34th Congress, 1st session). Wells, Governor of Maine, approved the resolutions in April 1856. Reprinted by Congress in June 1856. "...the people of Kansas Territory... are entitled to protection against interference from any quarter, intended to thwart or prevent the actual settlers in said Territory from the full and complete exercise of the right of suffrage..."

GLC08452.06

8 October 1863

Hagans, Lucian A., fl. 1861-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to George W. Koonce

Hagans, Secretary of the Commonwealth for the Reorganized Government of Virginia, discusses the admission of Jefferson County into the State of West Virginia. Informs Koonce that "Although an officer of the State of Virginia, yet I think Jefferson should be included in the new State, because of the liberality of its Constitution, identity of interest with West Virginia, and because its admission would bring the B. T. O. R. R. within the jurisdiction of the States of Maryland and West Virginia." Reports that the vote of Jefferson County has been certified by West Virginia Governor Francis…

GLC08606.01

1850

Webster, Daniel, 1782-1852

Pamphlet signed

Title: Daniel Webster's oration on the Compromise Bill

Published in Washington, D.C. by Gideon & Co., printers. Includes a dedication written on the front cover, likely to his brother-in-law James William Paige, stating "My dear friend & brother, accept this, as a copy of my last speech in Congress. Yours affectionately ... " Signed by Daniel Webster. Webster's speech supported the Compromise Bill of 1850, focusing on the following points: admission of California to the Union as a free state, the organization of New Mexico and Utah territories with no mention of slavery (the institution was to be decided upon by inhabitants of the…

GLC01946.47

1860

Sumner, Charles, 1811-1874

Pamphlet

Title: The barbarism of slavery. Speech of Hon. Charles Sumner, on the Bill for the admission of Kansas as a free state.

Given in the Senate, 4 June 1860. Condemns slavery as barbaric and criticizes various pro-slavery arguments, including that slavery was not upheld by the United States Constitution. Published by Thaddeus Hyatt, Washington, D.C. Printed as the clergy edition. With advertisements on the wrappers.

GLC02095.21

1856

Sumner, Charles, 1811-1874

Pamphlet

Title: The Crime Against Kansas. Speech of Hon. Charles Sumner, of Massachusetts. In the Senate of the United States, May 19, 1856.

Sumner delivered this speech after the May 1856 debates on slavery in Kansas. Condemns Southern advocacy of the expansion of slavery. Published by Greeley and McElrath, New York. Advertised on cover page as being "for sale at the office of the New York Tribune." With advertisements for other publications on the back cover.

GLC02095.20

23 December 1862

A.S. Willington & Co., fl. 1861-1864

Newspaper

Title: Charleston daily courier. [Vol. 60, no. 19,348 (December 23, 1862)]

Report of Thirteen Thousand Five Hundred Lives Lost at the Battle of Fredericksburg, Dispatch from Burnside to Halleck, The Army was Withdrawn Across the Rappahannock, A Report that McClellan was to be Reinstated to Command the Army, Death of Brig.-Gen. T.K. Duncan, Vote on the Bill Passed by the Yankee Congress Admitting Western Virginia Into the Union, News of the Battles before Fredericksburg, Report from Gen. Burnside, Lincoln's Army Bill Passed, Mansfield Lovell Relieved of Command, John Hunt Morgan Promoted to Brigadier General, Poem Titled "Stonewall Jackson's Way.".

GLC05959.37.10

14 December 1864

Cushing, Edward H., 1829-1879

Newspaper

Title: Houston tri-weekly telegraph. [Vol. 30, no. 182, whole no. 3846 (December 14, 1864)]

Hood moving on Nashville, Proclamation by Lincoln to admit Nevada to the Union.

GLC05959.54.17

1837/10/03

United States. Department of State

Pamphlet

Title: Annexation of Texas. Message from the President of the United States, In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 13th instant, respecting an Annexation of Texas to the United States.

Complies with the House of Representatives request for the President to report his opinion on whether or not Texas should be annexed to the United States, whether Texas has proposed anything and what the United States' response was, and, if so, to provide any relevant correspondence. Prints three related items of correspondence: two letters from General Memucan Hunt, the Texas minister at Washington, to Secretary of State John Forsyth, dated 4 August 1837 and 12 September 1837, and one from Forsyth to Hunt dated 25 August 1837. From the U.S. 25th Cong., 1st Sess., House of Representatives.…

GLC00267.099

1838/02

Massachusetts, General Court, Joint Committee on the Annexation of Texas

Pamphlet

Title: Report on the annexation of Texas to the United States

Also appears under the title: Senate documents (Massachusetts. General Court. Senate) ; no. 50. Report made by the Joint Committee, which had been referred the "Governor's address as relates to the resolutions of Rhode Island concerning the annexation of Texas to the Union and petitions from citizens desiring the Massachusetts legislature to protests against the annexation. Voices opposition to the annexation on constitutional grounds. Most pages uncut.

GLC00267.100

1849/01/25

Gales & Seaton

Newspaper

Title: National intelligencer. [Vol. 50, no. 7191 (January 25, 1849)]

US Coinage, D.C. Slave trade petition, Bill for admission of California.

GLC08430.03

1844/04/13

Buchanan, James, 1791-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Edward D. Gazzam re: Texas and the annexation treaty

Written as Senator from Pennsylvania to his friend Edward Gazzam. Buchanan's delaying tactics the following year as Secretary of State under Tyler allowed the president to ask for a declaration of war against Mexico. A portion of the letter on p. 1 was removed by cutting, probably by Buchanan. With free frank.

GLC02100

1844/02/03

Buchanan, James, 1791-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Edward D. Gazzam re: American interests better served by Texas independence

Written as Senator from Pennsylvania, regarding the bill for admission of Texas to the Union and South Carolina's opposition to another Tariff bill. Buchanan argues that an independent Texas would be better for America unless Great Britain were to annex it. He also dismisses South Carolina's (and Calhoun's) complaint that the Tariff impoverished the South by pointing to cheap cotton production in newer states like Mississippi or Alabama. (Recent historians agree with him.)

GLC02104

1846/01/14

Jones, Anson, 1798-1858

Broadside

Title: Proclamation re: admission of Texas to the Union, with John Tod ALS

Issued by Jones as President of the Republic of Texas, calling all Senators and Representatives to convene a state government. Accompanied by a 2 p. John Tod ALS, Galveston, concerning the proclamation, written while commanding in the Texas navy.

GLC02560

1789/12/16

Warden & Russell, 1784-1790

Newspaper

Title: The Massachusetts Centinel. [Vol. 12, no. 27 (December 16, 1789)]

This document is a copy of The Massachussetts Centinel. The newspaper contains a short article concerning the ratification of the Constitution by North Carolina, headed by a woodcut cartoon of all the states, as pillars, in place, except Rhode Island. Another article criticizes Rhode Island. Another notes that people fond of the number thirteen might see Vermont brought in to reach that number. News from London, other foreign locales, and from places around the United States. Also contains ship news and advertisements.

GLC05785

1844/10/17

Jackson, Andrew, 1767-1845

Autograph letter signed

Title: To: Robert Armstrong.

Jackson comes out strongly in favor of Texas annexation-laments failure of 3 Ohio Democrats to support annexation.

GLC07955

1792 ca.

Paine, Thomas, 1725-1802

Book

Title: Public good: being an examination into the claim of Virginia... [land claims]

Full title: "Public good: Being an examination into the claim of Virginia to the vacant Western Territory, and of the right of the United States to the same." Published by Charles R. & George Webster. (Not first edition.) An account of the question of the destiny and ownership of the lands to the west. Paine says the new lands should be a new state and should be admitted immediately to the fledgling U.S.

GLC05213

1862/12/23

Seward, William Henry, 1801-1872

Manuscript document signed

Title: re: admission of West Virginia as a state

Letter from Lincoln to Cabinet members calling for written opinions re: admission of West Virginia as a state. Includes autograph of Seward and secretarial signature of Lincoln.

GLC07681

February 18, 1857

Bingham, Kinsley Scott, 1808-1861

Pamphlet

Title: Resolutions of the Legislature of the State of Michigan, in relation to Kansas affair.

House of Representatives mis. doc. no. 49 (34th Congress, 3rd session). Bingham, Governor of Michigan, approved these measures 10 February 1857. Reprinted by Congress 18 February. "Resolved... that our senators in Congress be instructed, and our representatives requested, to use their best exertions to procure the passage of an act of Congress declaring the Kansas code (so called) null and void..."

GLC08452.08