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Collection Manuscript/Mixed Material William L. Beckwith correspondence, 1859-1861 William L. Beckwith papers

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About this Item

Title

  • William L. Beckwith correspondence, 1859-1861

Other Title

  • William L. Beckwith papers

Summary

  • ALsS (1859 November-1861 March) from Beckwith, of Scottsville, New York, to his cousin, William W. "Wash" Wells, of Portville, New York, documenting Beckwith's allegiance to the Republican Party from his early support of prospective presidential nominee William H. Seward in the 1860 election, to his enthusiasm for the eventual party nominee Abraham Lincoln. The letters highlight Beckwith's political differences with his cousin whom he criticizes for his support of Democratic Party presidential nominee Stephen A. Douglas. Beckwith discusses the political landscape before and after the 1860 election, the possible secession by southern slave states, and his views on slavery and participation in the activities of the Wide Awakes, an organization promoted by the Republican Party to encourage political participation among the youth.

Names

  • Beckwith, William L., 1835-1905

Headings

  • -  Douglas, Stephen A.--(Stephen Arnold),--1813-1861
  • -  Lincoln, Abraham,--1809-1865
  • -  Seward, William H.--(William Henry),--1801-1872
  • -  Wells, William W.--(Resident of Portville, N.Y.)--Correspondence
  • -  Democratic Party (U.S.)
  • -  Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- )
  • -  Wide Awakes
  • -  Political parties--United States
  • -  Political participation--United States
  • -  Presidents--United States--Election--1860
  • -  Secession--Southern States
  • -  Slavery
  • -  United States--Politics and government--19th century

Genre

  • Personal correspondence

Notes

  • -  Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: William L. Beckwith Correspondence, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
  • -  Purchase, 2023.
  • -  Republican Wide Awake member, of Scottsville, New York; and Union army soldier.
  • -  Collection material in English.
  • -  Forms part of: Miscellaneous Manuscripts collection.

Medium

  • 7 items.

Repository

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • mm2023086592

Access Advisory

  • Open to research.

Online Format

  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress believes that most of the items in the Miscellaneous Manuscripts Collection are in the public domain or have no known copyright restrictions and are free to use and reuse. Researchers should watch for documents that may be copyrighted (for example, published in the United States less than 95 years ago, or unpublished and the author died less than 70 years ago).

You are responsible for deciding whether your use of the items in this collection is legal. You will need written permission from the rightsholders to copy, distribute, or otherwise use copyrighted materials except as allowed by fair use or other statutory exemptions. Some materials may be protected under international law. You may also need permission from holders of other rights, such as publicity and/or privacy rights.

Credit Line: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, [Name of Specific Collection].

More about Copyright and other Restrictions.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Beckwith, William L. William L. Beckwith correspondence, -1861. 1859. Manuscript/Mixed Material. https://aj.sunback.homes/item/mm2023086592/.

APA citation style:

Beckwith, W. L. (1859) William L. Beckwith correspondence, -1861. [Manuscript/Mixed Material] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://aj.sunback.homes/item/mm2023086592/.

MLA citation style:

Beckwith, William L. William L. Beckwith correspondence, -1861. 1859. Manuscript/Mixed Material. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <aj.sunback.homes/item/mm2023086592/>.