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Category: Early America

Black and white print showing beavers near trees and a river.

Of Note: George Washington and the Beaver Tail: An Unfinished Tale

Posted by: Julie Miller

A reference librarian reexamines a favorite letter in the George Washington Papers and gathers more information about the writer, territorial judge George Turner, who caused the first U.S. president years of aggravation and distress during a period when the government was struggling to assert federal authority in the  Northwest Territory.

A black and white allegorical print referencing the Treaty of Ghent which ended the War of 1812, showing Minerva dictating the terms of peace, which Mercury delivers to Britannia and Hercules compels her to accept.

Behind the Scenes with the Treaty of Ghent: The Library of Congress Acquires Unpublished Correspondence Between Henry Clay and William Harris Crawford

Posted by: Julie Miller

The Library of Congress has just received a group of thirteen letters, mostly from Henry Clay to William Harris Crawford, six of which are unpublished. These document the work of the American commissioners who negotiated the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War of 1812, and the subsequent commercial treaty signed with Britain.

Made at the Library: The Declaration in Script and Print

Posted by: Julie Miller

On Thursday, July 17, at noon, the Library will host historian John Bidwell for a "Made at the Library" event to celebrate the recent publication of his book, The Declaration in Script and Print: A Visual History of America's Founding Document. Dr. Bidwell will discuss his book and the process of conducting research using the Library's collections.

A black and white etching of an enclosed stage coach.

Margaret Hunter Hall: Reluctant Traveler to the Antebellum United States

Posted by: Julie Miller

In letters to her sister, Margaret Hunter Hall (1799-1876), wife of the popular British travel author Basil Hall (1788-1844), recorded her impressions of the United States during a trip the couple took in 1827-1828. These are available for research in the Margaret Hunter Hall Papers in the Library of Congress Manuscript Division.