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The Preston Woodward correspondence contains letters by Paul S. Preston and Jackson Woodward, mainly discussing political topics such as the Mexican-American War, the Locofocos, and elections.

The Preston-Woodward correspondence contains letters written to Jackson Woodward by Paul S. Preston and business letters addressed to Woodward. The earliest items in the collection relate to Nathaniel A. Woodward of Bethany, Pennsylvania. Of these early letters, two from 1836 (also addressed to Jacob Faatz and Lucius Collins) discuss the election of delegates to amend the Pennsylvania state constitution and, to a lesser extent, national politics prior to the 1836 presidential election. The bulk of the collection pertains to Jackson Woodward, a lawyer from Honesdale, Pennsylvania, including incoming business-related correspondence and a personal letter from his brother, W. Woodward. Of particular interest within the collection are 58 letters composed by Paul S. Preston, as well as two by Jackson Woodward, discussing contemporary politics and prominent national and local political figures. Preston, who lived in Stockport, Pennsylvania, often took a scathing and humorous tone, as in his letter of November 29, 1845, in which he claimed that "since the day that the iron willed Tennessean, your illustrious namesake [Andrew Jackson] dressed despotism in the garb of Democracy, there is very little difference between an Emperor and a President."

A number of Preston's letters criticize the Locofocos, a radical wing of the Democratic Party founded in 1835 to protect the interests of workers and oppose monopolies and tariffs. Preston frequently characterized them as hypocritical, as in a letter of February 18, 1847, in which he compared the high salaries paid to Locofocoism's "panderers" and low wages earned by American soldiers fighting in Mexico. Preston also praised the Whig generals in the Mexican-American war as aggressive fighters (October 28, 1847), and included political poetry in several of his letters. His letter of January 2, 1850, contains a humorous petition in verse. Scattered letters concern presidential and midterm elections, and a lengthy letter of January 22, 1851, compares the attitudes of Yankees and Southerners, offering the opinion that the Southerners underestimate their dependence on slaves. On January 7, 1851, Preston criticized the Fugitive Slave Law and expressed his unwillingness "to be turned into a hound to run down a runaway negro."

Although the letters provide a much clearer picture of Preston than Woodward, the two men seemed to have held differing opinions on many issues, including slavery. In one of the two items he wrote, dated September 23, 1852, Woodward defended the Fugitive Slave Law and called abolitionism a "most mischievous, damnable doctrine."

This collection is comprised of 28 incoming letters addressed to Stephen Gore, a grocer and merchant in St. Louis, Missouri, between 1836 and 1844. They include letters from business and family connections, such as John Harris in Boston, Nathaniel Harbach in Newton, Massachusetts, and several writers in New Orleans, Louisiana. They discussed trade in coffee, brandy, gin, flour, candles, oil, and other goods, as well as the business climates, particularly in the Boston area and St. Louis. The health and travel of members of the Gore, Hyde, and Harris families.

This collection is comprised of 28 incoming letters addressed to Stephen Gore, a grocer and merchant in St. Louis, Missouri, between 1836 and 1844. They include letters from business and family connections, such as John S. Harris in Boston, Nathaniel Harbach in Newton, Massachusetts, and writers in New Orleans, Louisiana. They discussed trade in coffee, brandy, gin, flour, candles, oil, and other goods, as well as business climates, particularly in the Boston area and St. Louis. The health and travel of members of the Gore, Hyde, and Harris families.

Gore's correspondents shared information on the trade of coffee (including references to St. Domingo), alcohol, candles, oil, and other products. Several quoted recent prices, and one contains a detailed invoice. In addition to financial matters, Boston merchant John S. Harris, author of 12 letters, occasionally mentioned contemporary political issues, such as tariff legislation, Henry Clay's early presidential nomination by the Whig Party (September 15, 1842), and the economic effects of the temperance movement (August 7, 1843). Harris also provided news of the Gore family in Boston. Three acquaintances from New Orleans, Louisiana, sent business letters, including one from J. H. Lyon, who proposed a partnership (August 19, 1843).

Stephen Gore received four personal/business letters from Nathaniel R. Harbach of Newton, Massachusetts between 1838 and 1843. Harbach updated Gore on the health of his wife, members of they Hyde family, and business contacts. In 1838, Mary Gore, Stephen's wife, was unwell and wanted to travel to St. Louis to be with her husband. According to Harbach, she would not accept his offer to accompany her on the trip because of the "gross impropriety" of traveling with an unmarried man. Harbach's hope was to make money in St. Louis and intended on bringing a good quantity of wild cherries to sell there. He wrote of aging Mother Hyde and of Mrs. John Hyde, who was receiving too few boarders in Newton and planned to move to Boston. Harbach also updated Gore on his travel to New Orleans, and intentions for future travel.

Three acquaintances from New Orleans, Louisiana, sent business letters, including one from J. H. Lyon, who proposed a partnership (August 19, 1843). Stephen Gore's son Stephen D. Gore sent a single letter, dated November 30, 1836. The younger Gore reflected on the poor state of business affairs in Boston (worse than in the past 10 years), suspended business, bank securities, and business "failures." At the time, S. D. Gore worked selling goods for the Belvidere Flannel Company, but he hoped his father would find a different position. He also commented on Horatio Ware, who has the phthisic and could not speak more than a dozen words without taking a breath. Sarah Flint, Gore's sister, wrote one letter from Boston on October 11, 1840, concerning the care of their mother, who boarded with Sarah and her husband, and the impact of her care on the couple's financial situation.

This collection contains Theodore Leonard's retained drafts of political letters, essays, and a play, as well as financial records, documents, and poetry. Leonard, a farmer who lived in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, in the early 19th century, wrote primarily about local and national political issues, such as elected offices, political parties, and economic affairs.

This collection contains Theodore Leonard's retained drafts of political letters, essays, and a play, as well as financial records, documents, and poetry. Leonard, a farmer who lived in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, in the early 19th century, wrote primarily about economic affairs and local and national political issues, such as elected offices and political parties.

Leonard commented on a variety of topics in his mostly undated letters and essays, and addressed his writings to political party affiliates, prominent county residents, Governor William F. Johnston (1 item), and unidentified correspondents. Though he most frequently discussed local political offices and appointments, he also wrote about the purpose of government and economic issues, such as taxes, tariffs, and banks. One essay concerns the Irish economy.

A single packet of drafts includes at least 10 distinct documents, and another contains detailed information about the government, laws, and legal procedures of Connecticut. One business letter concerns a sawmill in Springfield, Pennsylvania (January 31, 1832), and other fragments, documents, and receipts relate to different aspects of Leonard's financial affairs, such as land ownership in Springfield, and his subscription to the Democratic Union newspaper. Also included are a document certifying Leonard's election as "auditor" for Springfield (February 1840) and 2 pages of poetry. A partial play, written on pieces of a printed proclamation, is entitled "The Captives Redeemed: A Historical Tragedy in Three Acts." The 6 pages originate from Act I, Scene 1.