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Letters Home From Congress

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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 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 minority Senator 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

Time Period Covered: 1818-1941 

Parent Collections

Congressional Papers

Related Archival Collection(s)

Warren R. Austin Collection
Crafts Family Collection
Collamer Family Papers

Published:  September 12, 2006,  University of Vermont, Bailey/Howe Library, Special Collections

Rights:  Requests to reproduce this item should be sent to the UVM Libraries' Center for Digital Initiatives at cdi@uvm.edu. For more information, see http://cdi.uvm.edu/about/rights. More information.


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Title:   Letter to Eunice Todd Crafts, February 6, 1819

Creator:  Crafts, Samuel Chandler, 1768-1853

Date:  1819-02-06

Resource type:   text

Resource type:   letter

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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Title:   Letter to Eunice Todd Crafts, January 1, 1819

Creator:  Crafts, Samuel Chandler, 1768-1853

Date:  1819-01-01

Resource type:   text

Resource type:   letter

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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Title:   Letter to Eunice Todd Crafts, January 22, 1821

Creator:  Crafts, Samuel Chandler, 1768-1853

Date:  1821-01-22

Resource type:   text

Resource type:   letter

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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Title:   Letter to Eunice Todd Crafts, March 12, 1820

Creator:  Crafts, Samuel Chandler, 1768-1853

Date:  1820-03-12

Resource type:   text

Resource type:   letter

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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Title:   Letter to Eunice Todd Crafts, March 26, 1820

Creator:  Crafts, Samuel Chandler, 1768-1853

Date:  1820-03-26

Resource type:   text

Resource type:   letter

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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Title:   Letter to Eunice Todd Crafts, May 8, 1820

Creator:  Crafts, Samuel Chandler, 1768-1853

Date:  1820-05-08

Resource type:   text

Resource type:   letter

Letter to wife. Topics include adjournment of Congress.


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Title:   Letter to Eunice Todd Crafts, November 12, 1820

Creator:  Crafts, Samuel Chandler, 1768-1853

Date:  1820-11-12

Resource type:   text

Resource type:   letter

Letter to wife. Topics include traveling to Washington; members of Congress arriving in Washington; boarding houses.


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Title:   Letter to Eunice Todd Crafts, November 19, 1820

Creator:  Crafts, Samuel Chandler, 1768-1853

Date:  1820-11-19

Resource type:   text

Resource type:   letter

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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Title:   Letter to Eunice Todd Crafts, November 27, 1820

Creator:  Crafts, Samuel Chandler, 1768-1853

Date:  1820-11-27

Resource type:   text

Resource type:   letter

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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Title:   Letter to Harriet Johnson, April 7, 1844

Creator:  Collamer, Jacob, 1791-1865

Date:  1844-04-07

Resource type:   letter

Letter to daughter. Topics include social life of wives of congressmen; steam ship Princeton accident; Representative John Quincy Adams (MA); Representative Solomon Foot (VT); social life


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Title:   Letter to Harriet Johnson, June 20, 1848

Creator:  Collamer, Jacob, 1791-1865

Date:  1848-06-20

Resource type:   letter

Letter to daughter. Topics include Committee on Public Lands; visit of Frederick Billings.


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Title:   Letter to James A. Paddock, April 7, 1822

Creator:  Crafts, Samuel Chandler, 1768-1853

Date:  1822-04-07

Resource type:   text

Resource type:   letter

Topics include newspaper coverage of Congress; length and slowness of current session.


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Title:   Letter to Mary Collamer, December 14, 1845

Creator:  Collamer, Jacob, 1791-1865

Date:  1845-12-14

Resource type:   letter

Letter to daughter. Topics include visit to the White House with Representative Solomon Foot (VT); Sarah Polk, wife of the President; Congressional prayer meetings.


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Title:   Letter to Mary Collamer, February 10, 1845

Creator:  Collamer, Jacob, 1791-1865

Date:  1845-02-10

Resource type:   letter

Letter to daughter. Topics include Whig and Democrat members of Congress; President James Polk; annexation of Texas.


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Title:   Letter to Mary Collamer, February 14, 1847

Creator:  Collamer, Jacob, 1791-1865

Date:  1847-02-14

Resource type:   letter

Letter to daughter. Topics include city crowded with people seeking military appointments; Senator John Calhoun (SC) and the Calhoun branch of the Democratic party; President James Polk.


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Title:   Letter to Mary Collamer, February 2, 1845

Creator:  Collamer, Jacob, 1791-1865

Date:  1845-02-02

Resource type:   letter

Letter to daughter. Topics include speech by Collamer on Texas; case of Collamer's before the Supreme Court; health of Representative Willis Green (KY); annexation of Texas; tariff.


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Title:   Letter to Mary Collamer, February 4, 1844

Creator:  Collamer, Jacob, 1791-1865

Date:  1844-02-04

Resource type:   letter

Letter to daughter. Topics include abolitionism; Representative Joshua Giddings (OH); Representative John Quincy Adams (MA); Democrats and Whigs; speech making in Congress.


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Title:   Letter to Mary Collamer, January 14 1844

Creator:  Collamer, Jacob, 1791-1865

Date:  1844-01-14

Resource type:   letter

Letter to wife. Topics include activities of a Congressman; constituent business at the General Post Office, the Treasury, the War or Navy Department, and the Patent Office; Congressional prayer meeting; social life.


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Title:   Letter to Mary Collamer, January 2, 1859

Creator:  Collamer, Jacob, 1791-1865

Date:  1859-01-02

Resource type:   letter

Letter to daughter. Topics include mailing of government documents and speeches by Collamer; new Senate chambers; social calls.


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Title:   Letter to Mary Collamer, January 24, 1847

Creator:  Collamer, Jacob, 1791-1865

Date:  1847-01-24

Resource type:   letter

Letter to daughter. Topics include Mexican-American War; President James Polk; General Zachary Taylor; General Winfield Scott.


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Title:   Letter to Mary Collamer, January 8, 1846

Creator:  Collamer, Jacob, 1791-1865

Date:  1846-01-08

Resource type:   letter

Letter to daughter. Topics include speeches about Oregon; Representative Solomon Foot (VT); constituent business, particularly in regard to pensions.


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Title:   Letter to Mary Hill, July 10, 1842

Creator:  Crafts, Samuel Chandler, 1768-1853

Date:  1842-07-10

Resource type:   text

Resource type:   letter

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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Title:   Letter to Mary N. Collamer, April 13, 1856

Creator:  Collamer, Jacob, 1791-1865

Date:  1856-04-13

Resource type:   letter

Letter to wife. Topics include speech by Collamer in the Senate on Kansas; practice of visiting home by members of Congress while in session.


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Title:   Letter to Mary N. Collamer, December 11, 1859

Creator:  Collamer, Jacob, 1791-1865

Date:  1859-12-11

Resource type:   letter

Letter to wife. Topics include President James Buchanan; Senator James Dixon (CT); John Brown; speeches in the House of Representatives.


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Title:   Letter to Mary N. Collamer, December 12, 1858

Creator:  Collamer, Jacob, 1791-1865

Date:  1858-12-12

Resource type:   letter

Letter to wife. Topics include constituent business; invitation to dinner from President James Buchanan; new Senate chambers; Pension Office.