Antonio María de Bucareli y Ursúa collection, 1772-1778
23 volumes
Please see the box and folder listing for more information about each volume in the collection.
23 volumes
Please see the box and folder listing for more information about each volume in the collection.
4 volumes
The Fuller papers consist of four bound volumes of records and eight miscellaneous receipts of the Michigan Anti-Slavery Society, kept between 1852 and 1856, when Harriet DeGarmo Fuller was a member of the executive committee of the Society. Together, these books form an important and detailed picture of the formation and early activity of the Society, with a record of their official resolutions, activities and expenditures. The Fuller Papers provide a unique insight into the inner workings of one of the most important state-level Garrisonian antislavery societies.
Volume 1 (26 pp.) contains the resolutions of the Michigan State Anti-Slavery Convention at Adrian, held on October 16th, 1852 (recording the formation of the State Central Committee), along with minutes from the State Central Committee meetings through September 23, 1853. The volume appears to be entirely in the hand of recording secretary, Jacob Walton of Adrian. The Central Committee appears to have served as a springboard to membership in the Michigan Anti-Slavery Society, as each of the members of the Central Committee assumed prominent roles in the M.A.S.S.
Volumes 2 and 3 are daybooks of the Michigan Anti-Slavery Society, 1853-1856. Volume 2 (115 pp., many blank) contains the general accounts of the Society during this period, while Vol. 3 (33 pp.) contains detailed, itemized records of donations, pledges, and expenditures at antislavery fairs held at Adrian, Fairfield, Battle Creek, Livonia and other cities, as well as pledges made to antislavery agents between these events. These volumes provide an intricate depiction of the fundraising activities of a state-level Garrisonian organization, its resources, contributors and participants.
Volume 4 is a ledger (77 pp.) including the Constitution and bye-laws of the Michigan Anti-Slavery Society, minutes of the monthly meetings of its executive committee, and the minutes and resolutions of its annual meetings from October 22, 1853-January 5, 1857. The ledger is a remarkable record of a radical antislavery group founded to act upon deeply-held moral beliefs, and includes records of the convention at which the Society was founded, as well as its first three annual meetings. These brief entries provide insight into the minds of self-professed social radicals and glimpse into the inner workings and debates of the Society.
The Recording Secretaries of the Michigan Anti-Slavery Society included: Ann Hayball (1853 October-1854 October); Eliphalet Jones (1854 October-1855 October; Ann Hayball often acted as Secretary pro tem.); Jacob Walton (1855 October-1856 October); and Harriet DeGarmo Fuller (1856 October-?). Each contributed to the records in this collection.
0.5 linear feet
This small 0.5 linear feet collection contains administrative records from the early years of Newberry Hall, 1915-1947. The first folder contains the minutes of the Board of Governors for the years, 1915 to 1925. The board was made up of five women. These women included the Dean of Women and at least two women who were University of Michigan graduates or who had been students. This board was appointed by the regents from those nominated by the Board of Trustees of the Students Christian Association. The second folder includes brief historical and financial records. These records give a brief financial history of the opening of the residence hall. This includes an interesting discussion of the separate roles of the university and the Student Christian Association in the upkeep of the building. There is a folder of budget summaries and a folder containing audits performed between 1927 and 1931. The Food Services records include the number of meals served and an example of the cost for guest meals. The last folder is the architectural contract from Kahn and Wilby for alterations to Newberry Hall
21 pages
The records books of the Lancaster Zouaves contains the Constitution, By-Laws, Rules of Order and membership rolls of the unit that became Company K of the 122nd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment. It appears to have been kept by W.H.H. Cox (identified as secretary), though Cox's name does not appear on the muster rolls of the 122nd Pennsylvania. The book includes meeting minutes for the company's brief existence, records of the election of officers, details on the organization of the company, drills and parades, and other standard military matters. Of particular interest are the elaborate plans, expense accounts, and reports for the benefit ball held in April, 1862.
14 boxes and one oversize box (approximately 16 linear feet) — Photographs in box 14 and scattered throughout the collection (see contents list). — Visual material in box 13. — Audio material in box 13. — Books by Naomi Long Magdett and Lotus Press, and books from Madgett's personal library, have been catalogued separately. Some chapbooks appear in the General Correspondence series, where such material were enclosed with a letter to Madgett. See the Writings and Author Files series for materials from the production of some Lotus Press books.
The Naomi Long Madgett Papers document the prominent career of Ms. Madgett as a poet and a teacher, and her operation of Lotus Press, which Madgett has run single-handedly for more than 30 years. Thus, the collection makes a good source of insight both into Madgett's own writing and aesthetic sensibility, and into the cultures of lyric poetry and African-American letters in the latter decades of the 20th Century. The bulk of the material covers the 1980s, the 1990s, and the first few years of the 21st century, with Madgett's activities in the 1970s being fairly well represented as well. From the correspondence collected here a vivid picture emerges of Madgett's relationships with some of the authors whose work she published--such as James Emanuel and Gayl Jones--as well as with other authors, such as Gwendolyn Brooks. In addition, correspondence and ephemera evidence the growth of Madgett's own reputation, documenting her many professional activities, awards, and honors over the years. While manuscripts by Madgett herself do not comprise a large part of the collection, the fortunes of one of her most famous poems, "Midway," are documented in detail, and an unpublished autobiography ( Pilgrim Journey) provides an extensive synthesis by the author of her own influences and career (a section of which has been published by Gale's Contemporary Authors' Autobiography Series). Finally, the collection provides a close look at the daily operation, from its inception, of a small literary press.
The Naomi Long Madgett papers have been arranged into nine series: Personal, Writings, General Correspondence, Workshops and Events, Author Files, Business Records, Ephemera, Photographs, and Audiovisual. Books published by Lotus Press, as well as other books and periodicals from Madgett's library, have been catalogued individually and are shelved by call number in the Special Collections Library. Within the collection, however, much material is available from the production of certain Lotus Press books; see below Writings and Author Files.
1 volume
The Perdue family account book and journal (152 pages) contains financial accounts, employment records, and diary entries related to William Folliard Perdue of Wagontown, Pennsylvania. The first (unnumbered) page contains a recipe for a rheumatism treatment and instructions for washing clothes. Pages numbered 1-4 contain financial accounts, mostly related to wheat and other crops (1843-1844).
Pages 5-151 contain employment records ("Time Accounts") and irregular diary entries covering the years 1843-1877, the bulk of which are dated from 1845-1876. William F. Perdue maintained records of the number of days or partial days that laborers worked on his farm and wrote diary entries and notes alongside and between these records. He commented on workers, farm work, livestock, and crops such as potatoes, corn, wheat, and oats. Perdue often mentioned visits to or from family members and acquaintances, and sometimes attended religious meetings, political meetings, or other social events. An entry dated January 1, 1848, reports his marriage to Emily Pyle. Page 92 contains list of fruit trees planted in the spring of 1860.
William's daughter Annie signed some entries dated 1861, and the subsequent entries, many of which concern local funerals, visits to or from family members, and other social activities, were written by an author or authors who referred to William F. Perdue as "Papa." Brief letters, a receipt, and recipes are laid into the volume, and newspaper clippings are pasted onto the endpapers.
2 volumes
This collection consists of two volumes of organizational records from the Scots Thistle Society of Philadelphia, a fraternal mutual aid society. The volumes include the society's constitution, bylaws, a brief history of the founding of the society, minutes, financial records, and membership lists. Although these volumes begin in 1806, after the loss of earlier records, they contain information from before that, including the constitution, bylaws, and membership lists from 1805. The bulk of the collection dates to 1806-1865, with one inserted leaflet dated 1904.
Inserted into the front cover of Volume 1 is a printed reminder note for the Scots Thistle Society meeting held on March 7, 1904, with handwritten meeting notes. Another laid-in leaflet bearing handwritten notes is located in the "Laws section" of the volume. The record of minutes for the meeting held on March 4, 1826, includes a written reference to the United States Constitution.
Four loose sheets of notes are inserted into Volume 2: one sheet in the Quarterly Dues section at the page for 1847; two at the minutes of the meeting held on June 1, 1840; and one at the minutes of the meeting held on June 26, 1845.
See the Detailed Box and Folder Listing for tables of contents for the two volumes.
497 pages (1 volume)
The Board of Inspectors and the individual inspectors concentrated on prison evaluations, facilities, maintenance, personnel, order, discipline, finances, convict labor according to the contract system, the female prison, prisoner transfers (including to Auburn Prison's asylum for mentally ill convicts), and other matters. The minutes and reports are typically brief, but taken as a whole they offer detailed insight into the workings or proposed workings of the State prison from the perspective of this administrative body.
The philosophies of incarceration expressed explicitly and implicitly in the volume are retribution/deterrence, self-funding and profit making, and rehabilitation through work and discipline. See bulleted notes below for pertinent examples. See also inspector Thomas Kilpatrick's final review of successes and goals at Sing Sing Prison during his tenure (December 7, 1874, sec. 2, pp. 307-311). In it, he discussed ways to make punishments effectual, decrease solitary confinements, improve prisoner equality, reduce prisoner extravagances, and increase discipline and good management so that the coming year would see increased profits. He noted that "good government and Financial success are Identical" and that prisons should be unpleasant, as they are not state boarding houses. A complaint made in September 1873 echoed the sentiment, stating that "our Prisons are fast becoming desirable Homes for the Indolent instead of a place of punishment and terror for evil doers" (September 2, 1873, sec. 2, p. 196). Of rehabilitation, Kilpatrick remarked, "The only true practical method to reclaim and reform a Convict is to have him learn that obedience to the Laws, rules, and regulations of the Prison is essential and required, he will leave the Prison better prepared to enter upon his duties to society by respecting Law and property, than he would by permitting him to enjoy his own self-will while in prison" (December 7, 1874, sec. 2, p. 310). A series of questions to the Board from the Committee of Prison Association includes content on prison goals and a remark that no prisoner should leave the prison unable to read (January 9, 1874, sec. 2, 228-233).
Throughout these records, the inspectors documented increases and decreases in prison populations and total proposed annual expenditures, noted separately for male and female prisons. They also specified assignments of inspectors to the Clinton, Auburn, and Sing Sing prisons (section 2, passim). The inspectors compared books and vouchers with storekeepers' accounts, documented board meetings at any of the three State prisons, and dealt with scores of visitors. They fielded hundreds of tours, "to the annoyance of the officers" (August 25, 1865, sec. 1, p. 16), and attended to annual visits from the Governor and Deputy Governor.
The regular reports and entries reflect several reoccurring themes, including facilities and personnel; maintenance of order and discipline, and other prisoner matters; convict contract labor; the female prison; and mental health transfers.
Facilities and Personnel
The Inspector in Charge of Sing Sing Prison reported on visits to individual prisoners' cells, the evaluation of buildings, the state of discipline, and upkeep or repair of various locations on site. Tours of inspection typically included the hospital, storehouse, guardhouse, kitchen, office space, bathhouse, mess hall, washhouse, agent's house, blacksmith shop, labor shops, stables, yards, hog house, soap house, pasture grounds, and docks. Inspections included an assessment of the needs of these departments. In the case of the kitchen, for example, they recorded the need for more storage for vegetables, refrigeration, ration evaluations, overabundance of food, etc. They mentioned the subject of garbage disposal.
Various security and other improvements were made over the course of the volume. They implemented revisions to ventilation and lighting, constructed a new hospital spring, and built a fence around the hog house (to be less offensive to the public, April 29, 1865, sec. 1, pp. 2-5), for example. Although the prison had no wall around it until 1876, this volume documents the construction of fences--notably between the grounds and the rail line (April 17, 1866, sec. 2, p. 21; May 4, 1867, sec. 2, p. 42; November 19, 1868, sec. 2, p. 99). On October 11, 1869, the prison purchased "watchmen's detectors" (sec. 2, p. 128).
Natural and negligent accidents occurred. Flooding from the breakage of a dam in a storm required cleanup and repair from June 26 to August 26, 1867 (sec. 1, pp. 81-82, 88). On April 11, 1872, the inspector reported that "old and weak" wooden Galleries were in significant disrepair and needed to be replaced with iron to prevent fire hazards. The State Legislature refused to appropriate funds (April 12, 1872, sec. 2, p. 154). The following year, the Galleries collapsed and killed one convict, injured several more, and injured one keeper (May 22, 1873, sec. 2, pp. 182-183). They rebuilt the structure, as reported on February 10, 1874 (sec. 2, p. 239).
The inspectors' reports reflect individual personnel changes, suspensions, dismissals, reinstatements, retirements, and new hires. The positions included guards, keepers, principal keepers, agents/wardens, assistant matrons, matrons, teachers, clergymen, and others. No lists of the complete staff exist in the volume. In three cases, the records indicate the hire of Civil War veterans (April 17, 1866, sec. 1, p. 39; May 22, 1866, sec. 1, p. 44; and August 13, 1866, sec. 1, p. 50).
Officers and keepers might be suspended or dismissed for various prison rule violations. These included reading while on duty, sleeping while on duty, dereliction of duty, language unbecoming of a guard, speaking poorly of other officers rather than working together, intemperance, trading with prisoners, receiving money from convicts, assisting in prison escapes, theft, not having sufficient knowledge to conduct their jobs, and other issues. In one case a prison keeper was suspended for stealing a "fancy box" made by convicts (May 30, 1865, sec. 1, p. 6). In another case, the shoe shop supervisor was suspended for stashing whiskey, Port, Champagne, eggs, tea, coffee, butter, pipes, and sugar (December 30, 1867, sec. 1, p. 114).
Other miscellaneous personnel issues arose. The Board deliberated on whether or not minor officers or guards should be required to wear uniforms; dissent argued that much of the staff could not afford the expense (July 21, 1873, sec. 2, p. 187).
Maintenance of Order and Discipline, and Other Prisoner Matters
Prisoners needed special privileges to engage in activities like writing letters, drawing money on deposit, receiving visits by relatives, etc. The minutes include entries specifying the nature of a privilege and the name of the convict receiving the permission. Male convicts repeatedly drew on their money deposited at the prison to send to mothers, wives and sisters, brothers (e.g. June 15, 1865, sec. 1, p. 8; June 17, 1865, sec. 1, p. 9), purchase books (such as a German dictionary, April 17, 1866, sec. 1, p. 39), and acquire additional food for health reasons (August 4, 1865, sec. 1, p. 13). One prisoner required special permission to use his money to pay for wooden leg repairs (June 16, 1865, sec. 1, pp. 9; November 7, 1867, sec. 1, p. 99), and another, George Smith, received permission to grow his whiskers after the first of June (April 29, 1865, sec. 1, p. 4).
The inspectors assessed and acted on various health and medical issues in the prison, particularly when outbreaks of illness occurred, such as an August 11, 1866, spreading of a bowel sickness (sec. 1, p. 48). In two cases, disinfection of the prison was performed (June 24, 1868, sec. 2, p. 71; April 5, 1869, sec. 2, pp. 123-124). Prisoners were required to be vaccinated, costing the State $200 (April 11, 1872, sec. 2, p. 155).
Inspectors occasionally made notes on prison clergy (Catholic and Congregational) and educators, and they attended chapel services at times. One inspector remarked that the convicts' singing could stand for improvement (January 26, 1866, sec. 1, p. 29). The teachers and clergy requested supplies for their work. On April 10, 1867 (sec. 1, p. 75), the chaplain ordered six dozen each of slates and spelling books. They purchased an organ for the chapel on January 1, 1868 (sec. 2, p. 57). In a show of public support for improving the character of officers and government of the prison (and, as they remarked, increasing intelligent, thinking visitors), the prison received an appropriation for the prison library (August 4, 1873, sec. 2, p. 189). Convicts' own books required approval from the chaplain (July 10, 1869, sec. 2, p. 127). Evidence of disorder in the chapel was also noted, as when the inspectors noticed convicts chewing tobacco during services (December 13, 1873, sec. 2, p. 225).
Order and discipline were chief concerns for the prison administration. Groups of male convicts were forbidden from congregating without the presence of a guard, pausing their work to gaze at visitors, possessing contraband, among many restrictions. Examples of the establishment of disciplinary rules, re-emphasis on existing rules, and punishment issues include:
Mount Pleasant Female Prison
The Board of Inspectors evaluated the Mount Pleasant Female Prison in much the same way as they assessed the male prison. Notes and reports on aspects of the female prison cover facilities upkeep and improvement, personnel issues, order and discipline, contract work, health, and other subjects. The inspectors reviewed processes related to children, female-specific rules (such as disallowing women from using tobacco), visitor arrangements, and lack of infrastructure to tend to mentally ill women (August 25, 1865, sec. 1, p. 16). One entry documents the punishment of female inmates for reporting unspecified misconduct by an officer (September 22, 1868, sec. 1, pp. 128-129).
Mental Illness
The content in these records pertinent to mental health takes the form of assessment of prisoners and transfer of convicts to the asylum at Auburn Prison. See, for example:
Finances, the Contract System, and Profit
The managerial responsibilities of the Board of Inspectors included paying close attention to the financial aspects of the State Prisons. These Sing Sing records include documentation of expenditures, anticipated annual financial need, money received from the State, the value of stock held by the prison or from the State, requisitions, and management of prisoner contract labor. The minutes of the Board of Inspectors are at times dominated by advertising contract leases, considering proposals and applications by contractors, negotiating wages, maximizing the numbers of laboring inmates, handling contractors in arrears, balancing labor for the State versus labor for contractors, maintaining profitability, and discussing the value of keeping prisoners from being idle.
The State prison contract system included a wide variety of natural resource gathering, processing, and manufacturing operations. Among them were limestone, coal, and marble quarrying; limekiln operations; stonecutting, woodcutting, and printing; manufacturing of linen, clothing (and "convict cloth"), hats, tapestries, cabinets, saddles, harnesses, whips, shoes, boots, tools, skates, malleable iron, nails, cutlery, furniture, chain, cigars, brushes, marble dust, augurs, and brassware. On May 12, 1873, the inspectors made arrangements for the construction of buildings at the extreme south end of the grounds for the manufacture of sulfuric acid and terre alba (sec. 2, p. 180). Entries also pertain to the infrastructure needed for these contacts, such as acquiring machinery, kilns, forges, and workspaces.
During the financial panic of 1873 and the accompanying decrease in the prices of goods, the Board of Inspectors minutes show a flurry of efforts by the State and the contractors to decrease costs, increase inmate employment, and reduce the number of prison guards and keepers.
1.13 MB (online) — 0.2 linear feet
The Society of American Archivists Student Chapter (University of Michigan) records date from 1993-1996. The records document the founding of this student chapter at the University of Michigan.