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John Greenleaf Whittier letterbook

 Collection
Identifier: HC.MC-975-02-025

Scope and Contents

This collection is comprised of the single volume letterbook of John Greenleaf Whittier, which includes his personal correspondence with William J. Allinson. Topics covered in the letters include news of Whittier and Allinson's health, news of their families, as well as discussions of contributions to "The Non-Slaveholder" and discussions of English Friends.

Dates

  • Creation: 1842-1873

Creator

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research use.

Use Restrictions

Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply (U.S. Title 17).

Biographical Note

John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892) was born on December 17, 1807, in Haverhill, Massachusetts, the son of Quakers John Whittier and Abigail Hussey Whittier. He was an American poet and editor, and his first published poem, "The Exile's Departure," was printed in William Lloyd Garrison's Newburyport Free Press in 1826. He attended Haverhill Academy from 1827 to 1828. In addition to being a poet, Whittier was an involved abolitionist. He was a delegate to the Anti-Slavery Society in 1833, and a member of the State Legislature in 1835. Whittier founded the antislavery Liberty party in 1840 and ran for Congress in 1842. In the mid-1850s, he began to work for the formation of the Republican party; he supported presidential candidacy of John C. Frémont in 1856.

Whittier published his first collection of poems in 1837, his first authorized collection in 1838, the collection "Snow Bound" in 1866, and edited an edition of John Woolman's Journal.

John Greenleaf Whittier died on September 7, 1892, in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire.

Extent

0.08 linear ft. (1 volume)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

John Greenleaf Whittier was an American Quaker poet and editor, as well as an involved abolitionist. He was a delegate to the Anti-Slavery Society in 1833, a member of the State Legislature in 1835, founded the antislavery Liberty party in 1840, and ran for Congress in 1842. Topics covered in Whittier's letterbook include news of health and family, as well as discussions of contributions to "The Non-Slaveholder" and discussions of English Friends.

Acquisition

Unknown.

Related Materials

  • HC.MC.968 Allinson family papers
  • HC.MC.851 American Friends letters collection
  • HC.MC.1121 Henry Joel Cadbury papers
  • HC.MC.1030 Hartshorne family papers
  • HC.MC.1191 Morris-Shinn-Maier collection
  • HC.MC.975.07.001 "John Greenleaf Whittier: Some General Characteristics of his Poetry"

Processing Information

Processed by Kara Flynn; completed August, 2015.

Title
John Greenleaf Whittier letterbook, 1842-1873
Author
Kara Flynn
Date
August, 2015
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Find It at the Library

Most of the materials in this catalog are not digitized and can only be accessed in person. Please see our website for more information about visiting or requesting repoductions from Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections Library

Contact:
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Haverford PA 19041 USA US