Caleb Cushing Papers
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Caleb Cushing Papers A Finding Aid to the Collection in the Library of Congress Manuscript Division, Library of Congress Washington, D.C. 2006 Revised 2010 March Contact information: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/mss.contact Additional search options available at: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.ms000002 LC Online Catalog record: http://lccn.loc.gov/mm78017509 Prepared by John McDonough, Esther Coles, Woodrow Hamilton, and Bessie Waters Revised and expanded by Nan Ernst Collection Summary Title: Caleb Cushing Papers Span Dates: circa 1785-1906 Bulk Dates: (bulk 1820-1878) ID No.: MSS17509 Creator: Cushing, Caleb, 1800-1879 Language: Collection material in English Extent: 120,000 items ; 420 containers plus 4 oversize ; 190 linear feet ; 9 microfilm reels Location: Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Summary: United States cabinet official and representative from Massachusetts, army officer, diplomat, and lawyer. Correspondence, memoranda, diaries, journals, writings, speeches, notes, notebooks, legal file, business papers, biographical material, newspaper clippings, printed material, maps, photographs, and other papers reflecting Cushing's role in national and international affairs of the mid-nineteenth century. Selected Search Terms The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically therein. People Bancroft, George, 1800-1891--Correspondence. Buchanan, James, 1791-1868. Butler, Benjamin F. (Benjamin Franklin), 1818-1893--Correspondence. Campbell, James, 1812-1893--Correspondence. Choate, Rufus, 1799-1859--Correspondence. Cushing, Caleb, 1800-1879. Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889--Correspondence. Dobbin, James C. (James Cochran), 1814-1857--Correspondence. Everett, Edward, 1794-1865--Correspondence. Fish, Hamilton, 1808-1893--Correspondence. Guthrie, James, 1792-1869--Correspondence. Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875. Lieber, Francis, 1800-1872--Correspondence. Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865. Marcy, William L. (William Learned), 1786-1857--Correspondence. McClelland, Robert, 1807-1880--Correspondence. McCulloch, Hugh, 1808-1895--Correspondence. Pierce, Franklin, 1804-1869--Correspondence. Pike, Albert, 1809-1891--Correspondence. Pillow, Gideon Johnson, 1806-1878--Correspondence. Rose, John, Sir, 1820-1888--Correspondence. Seward, William Henry, 1801-1872--Correspondence. Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866--Correspondence. Taney, Roger Brooke, 1777-1864--Correspondence. Tyler, John, 1790-1862--Correspondence. Webster, Daniel, 1782-1852--Correspondence. Whittier, John Greenleaf, 1807-1892--Correspondence. Organizations Democratic Party (U.S.) Geneva Arbitration Tribunal. Massachusetts. Attorney General's Office. United States and Mexican Claims Commission. United States. Department of Justice. Office of the Attorney General. Caleb Cushing Papers 2 Whig Party (U.S.) Subjects Canals--Panama. Diplomatic and consular service, American. Land speculation. Mexican War, 1846-1848. Political parties--United States. Places China--Foreign relations--United States. Colombia--Foreign relations--United States. Great Britain--Foreign relations--United States. Massachusetts--Politics and government--1775-1865. Mexico--Foreign relations--United States. Panama Canal (Panama)--History. Spain--Foreign relations--United States. United States--Foreign relations--China. United States--Foreign relations--Colombia. United States--Foreign relations--Great Britain. United States--Foreign relations--Mexico. United States--Foreign relations--Spain. United States--Foreign relations. United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Claims. United States--Politics and government--19th century. Titles North American review. Occupations Army officers. Cabinet officers. Diplomats. Lawyers. Representatives, U.S.--Massachusetts. Administrative Information Provenance The papers of Caleb Cushing, lawyer, author, United States representative from Massachusetts, envoy to China, Colombia, and Spain, brigadier general in the Mexican War, attorney general of the United States, and senior counsel for the United States at the Geneva Tribunal of Arbitration, were given to the Library of Congress by his niece, Margaret W. Cushing, 1935-1942. Several small additions have been acquired through purchase, gift, and transfer, 1906-1995. Processing History The papers of Caleb Cushing were initially arranged and described between 1961 and 1962. Additional material was incorporated into the collection in 1984 and in 1999, and the finding aid was revised in 2006. Additional Guides A description of the Caleb Cushing Papers appeared in the Report of the Librarian of Congress, 1936, p. 33. The provenance of Cushing's papers may be found in Claude M. Fuess, The Life of Caleb Cushing (1923): vol. 1, pp. vii-viii; vol. 2, pp. 399-400. Caleb Cushing Papers 3 Copyright Status The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Caleb Cushing is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.). Access and Restrictions The papers of Caleb Cushing are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use. Microfilm A microfilm edition of correspondence, Dec. 1856-Dec. 1860, is available on eight reels and the treaty of Wang Hiya (Wanghsia), 1844, is available on one reel. Consult reference staff in the Manuscript Division concerning availability for purchase or interlibrary loan. To promote preservation of the originals, researchers are required to consult the microfilm edition as available. Preferred Citation Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container or reel number, Caleb Cushing Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Biographical Note Date Event 1800, Jan. 17 Born, Salisbury, Essex County, Mass. 1817 Graduated, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. 1820-1821 Tutored mathematics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. 1821 Admitted to bar and commenced practice of law, Newburyport, Mass. Edited local newspaper Began contributing to North American Review 1824 Elected representative to Massachusetts general court Married Caroline Elizabeth Wilde (died 1832) 1825 Elected Massachusetts state senator 1829-1830 Traveled to England, France, and Spain 1834-1842 U.S. representative from Massachusetts, Whig party 1843 Nominated three times as secretary of the treasury but rejected by the Senate 1843-1844 Commissioner to China; negotiated Treaty of Wang Hiya 1846 Traveled to Great Lakes region and along St. Croix River Reelected representative to Massachusetts general court 1847-1848 Brigadier general, Mexican War 1850 Reelected representative to Massachusetts general court Caleb Cushing Papers 4 1851 Elected first mayor of Newburyport, Mass. 1852 Appointed associate justice, Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts 1853-1857 Attorney general of the United States 1857 Reelected representative to Massachusetts general court 1860 Named permanent president of the National Democratic Convention, Charleston, S.C. 1860 Sent as President James Buchanan's personal representative to Charleston, S.C., to delay passing of ordnance of secession 1865-1870 Counsel for the United States before the British and American Joint Commission to settle claims by the Hudson's Bay and Puget's Sound companies 1868 Special Minister to Colombia to negotiate a treaty regarding a canal across Isthmus of Panama Appointed agent and counsel by the Mexican government to present claims before the Mexican- American Claims Commission 1871 Appointed counsel for the United States, Geneva Tribunal of Arbitration 1873-1877 Minister to Spain 1879, Jan. 2 Died, Newburyport, Mass. Scope and Content Note The papers of Caleb Cushing (1800-1879) span the period circa 1785-1906 with the bulk of the material dating from 1820 to 1878. The collection includes diaries; journals; general and special correspondence; subject, legal, and financial files; a speech, article, and book file; and related newspaper clippings and printed matter. There is also an extensive file based on Cushing's land speculation and an additional file with papers that relate to his varied public employments, beginning with the China mission of 1843-1844 and ending with his ministry to Spain, 1873-1877. The General Correspondence series, constituting approximately one-third of the collection, documents Cushing's life and touches on many of the national and international issues that arose during the middle years of the nineteenth century. The much less voluminous Special Correspondence series includes letters dealing with patronage questions during Cushing's congressional career (1835-1843) and during his service as President Franklin Pierce's attorney general (1853-1857). Social correspondence, autograph requests, bound correspondence, and a small amount of family correspondence complete this series. Legal and business correspondence is included as part of the extensive Legal File. The Legal File is divided among cases in which Cushing was in some way personally involved and those in which he acted as attorney or consultant. Also in the Legal File, and separately arranged therein, are drafts of Cushing's opinions as attorney general. Correspondence is also included in the Land Speculation and Related Business Ventures File illustrating Cushing's financial