Brooklyn Historical Society Mixed manuscript collection
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
This collection handwritten documents of various provenance that had been artificially assembled by librarians at the Long Island Historical Society (now the Center for Brooklyn History) in the 19??s. Documents primarily concern Kings, Queens, and Suffolk Counties in New York State, as well as the states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Most items are legal documents, such as court records, deeds, and bonds. Additional materials include election records, Revolutionary War documents, family papers, and one enslaved person's bill of sale. Specific individuals and families represented in the documents include Aaron Burr, Robert Fulton, Frederick Douglas, the Pettet family, Samuel Spragg, and the Young family, among others. Documents of Kings County representatives of the Continental Congress, as well as a copy of a document in Dutch referencing the Dutch purchase of the island of Manhattan from Native Americans, are also included.
Scope and Contents
This collection contains handwritten materials dating from 1626 to 1957. The majority of the items document the business dealings of individuals, from indentures to deeds to letters of recommendation. Notable items include a court release endorsed by Andrew Burr and a note about accommodations for a business trip written by Frederick Douglass. Other items in this collection address political concerns, such as an act to protect the contents of vessels wrecked at sea, or the business matters of small organizations, like the Bethlehem Star Masonic chapter. The collection was compiled by library staff at the Long Island Historical Society.
Subjects
Organizations
Families
Genres
Topics
Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
While many items at the Center for Brooklyn History are unrestricted, we do not own reproduction rights to all materials. Be aware of the several kinds of rights that might apply: copyright, licensing and trademarks. The researcher assumes all responsibility for copyright questions.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Brooklyn Historical Society Mixed manuscript collection, 1974.037, Box and Folder number; Center for Brooklyn History, Brooklyn Public Library.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Source and date of acquisition unknown. Formally accessioned in 1974.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
If digital surrogates exist, they should be used in place of the originals whenever possible.
About this Guide
Processing Information
This collection was processed to the item level.
Processing Information
Oppressive descriptive language was remediated from the abstract note in this finding aid as part of an anti-racist descriptive language audit performed in January 2021. Folder titles were retained to maintain record of descriptive language of collection creators.
