Table of Contents
Scope and Contents of the Collection
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Overview of the Collection |
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| Creator: | Morrill, Justin S. (Justin Smith), 1810-1898. |
| Title: | Justin S. Morrill Papers |
| Inclusive Dates: | 1835-1866 |
| Quantity: | .25 linear ft. |
| Abstract: | Correspondence, speeches, writings, biographical material about the Vermont senator and representative. |
| Language: | English |
| Repository: |
Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center |
Biographical History
Justin Smith Morrill (1810-1898) was an American politician; he served as both Senator and Representative from Vermont.
Born in the first of ten children to Nathaniel and Mary (Hunt) Morrill, Justin attended village schools in Strafford, Vermont where both his father and grandfather had been farmers and blacksmiths since 1795. He became a partner with his friend Jedediah H. Harris in the village store in 1831 with great success, and in 1848 he was able to retire from store keeping to his farm. In 1852 he was chosen to represent the local Whig party at their national convention, and in 1854 he was elected to the House of Representatives. From that point he was continuously re-elected to either the House or the Senate for the next forty-four years.
One of his most lasting accomplishments was the Land-Grant College Act, proposed in 1857 but not signed until 1862, which led to the founding and growth of state colleges across the country. In 1890 Congress passed the Second Morrill Act which gave $25,000 in federal funds annually to each land-grant college. He was a significant contributor to the planning and execution of the terraces, fountains, and gardens of the Capitol and the completion of the Washington Monument, as well as to the founding of the Library of Congress. He is also well known in some circles for his authorship of the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act of 1862.
[Portions of this biographical sketch adapted from the article on Morrill in the Dictionary of American Biography.]
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The Justin Smith Morrill Papers comprise correspondence, speeches, and writings, with small amounts of biographical material and memorabilia. Items date from 1835-1866, preceding his election to the U.S. Senate, but many items, especially the speeches, are undated.
Correspondence dates from 1836-1866 and amounts to 24 letters: five from Morrill, 12 incoming to Morrill, and seven others. Among the correspondents are Pennsylvania congressman John Covode (1808-1871), Maryland congressman Henry Winter Davis (1817-1865), and Vermont jurist Jacob Collamer (1791-1865). Other corespondents are principally fellow-Vermonters. An index to the correspondence appears at the end of this inventory.
Eighteen holograph Speeches are all on political topics. The presidential campaign of 1848 was the occasion for many of them. Morrill's Writings are represented by five verses and two miscellaneous items.
A folder of photocopied Biographical information and four items of Memorabilia complete the collection.
Arrangement of the Collection
Correspondence and speeches are arranged chronologically. Writings are arranged alphabetically by type and then by title.
Restrictions
Access Restrictions
The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.
Use Restrictions
Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.
Related Material
Special Collections Research Center has made a concerted effort over the years to ensure that its manuscript and rare books holdings complement each other. As a result, many of our manuscript collections are supported by books, pamphlets, serials and other items which are cataloged in the Rare Books Collection. Please be sure to search Libraries Search for these related materials.
Subject Headings
Persons
Subjects
Genres and Forms
Occupations
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Justin S. Morrill Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
Acquisition Information
Acquired 1963.
Finding Aid Information
Created by: EL
Date: Aug 1979
Revision history: 10 Oct 2008 - converted to EAD (MRC)
Inventory
| Biographical material | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | Printed material (photocopies) (3 items) | ||||||||||
| Correspondence | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | 1836-1857 (10 items) | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | 1862-1863 (6 items) | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | 1866 (3 items) | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Undated (5 items) | ||||||||||
| Memorabilia | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | Holograph and printed material 1859, undated (4 items) | ||||||||||
| Speeches | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | 1841-1849 (5 speeches, 14 pp.) | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Undated (13 speeches, 15 pp.) | ||||||||||
| Writings | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | Verse undated - holograph | ||||||||||
| "The boy blacksmith; or the picture of contentment passe richesse" "The boy blacksmith at his evening toilet; or the picture of contentment passe richesse" "Report of the rum destroying committee" Untitled ("Twas morn. I saw the playful boy...") Untitled ("Hard by a village, on a mound...) |
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| Box 1 | Miscellaneous 1835, undated - holograph | ||||||||||
| "A card to the public," 1835 Sep 27 Letter to the reader of the Village Club, South Strafford, Vermont, undated |
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Index of correspondents
- ---- : 1836 Aug 26, Windsor [Vt.], to Henry Hunt; 1854 Nov 12, ----, "Dear friends at home"; 18?? 13 Aug, ----, ----; Undated, ----, to F. [?] Harris; Undated, ----, ----, ----
- Clark, C.S. : 1866 Feb 8, Portland, to Justin Smith Morrill
- Clark, Edward : 1871 Sep 7, Washington, to Justin Smith Morrill
- Davis, Henry Winter : 1862 May 19, ----, "Dear friend"
- Field, Charles K. : 1862 Aug 1, Brattleboro, Vt., to Justin Smith Morrill [?]
- Moore, James S. : 1857 Nov 21, ----, to Justin Smith Morrill
- Morrill, J.N. : 1839 Aug 22, Tolland [?], to Justin Smith Morrill
- Morrill, Justin Smith : 1842 Aug 3, Strafford [Vt.], to ---- Walton; 1845 Jun 18, Strafford [Vt.], to ----; 1863 Mar 19, Strafford [Vt.], to Jacob Collamer (draft); Undated, ----, to ---- (draft); Undated, ----, to Caira Langdon (draft)
- Morris, Sylvester : 1858 May 31, Norwich [Vt.], to E.N. Briggs
- Overholt, A. and H.S. : 1862 Jul 25, West Overton [Pa.?], to John Covode
- Perry, Solon : 1863 Aug 28, Cambridgeport, Vt., to Justin Smith Morrill
- Potter, H. Jr. : 1866 Jul 25, Newbern, N.C., to Justin Smith Morrill
- Raymond, Charles : 1856 Jan 19, Bridgewater [Vt.], to Justin Smith Morrill
- Russ, Melvin N. : 1837 Jul 8, Thetford [Vt.], to Justin Smith Morrill
- Sleeper, Lauren M. : 1862 Jul 7, Newark, Vt., to Justin Smith Morrill
- Tenney, F.B. : 1849? Oct 3, Boston, to Justin Smith Morrill