James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 1, Papers of James Buchanan, Series 1 Correspondence
Description
The James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 1, Papers of James Buchanan, Series 1 Correspondence, Subseries 1 contains letters to James Buchanan and Subseries 2 contains letters from James Buchanan. Within these subseries, the letters are arranged chronologically, dating from 1819-1868.
This collection contains letters, both to and from James Buchanan. The letters from Buchanan range from the different periods of his life-as a private citizen and lawyer, senator, and ambassador to Russia and Britain; his Presidential term from 1857 to 1861; and his later years until his death in 1868. The earlier letters include details of his travels, political matters and the military, social engagements and responsibilities, his responsibilities as a political figure, and accounts of family chatter and gossip. He also discusses at length, in his letters to and about Harriet Lane, his opinions of whom she should marry, his opinions about her social encounters and interactions, her living situations, and her livelihood. Buchanan also often wrote about his Christian beliefs, especially during the later years of his life. Letters from his later years detail the day-to-day life at home in Wheatland, including some of his guests, his servants, and his illnesses as the end of his life neared.
The letters that are addressed to James Buchanan range in different topics, concerning military affairs, political and legal information, and family chatter. Other letters include details of Buchanan's financial matters that are in reference to loans, Buchanan's investments and purchases, deeds and bonds. There are also a number of thank-you letters and notes of recommendation.
Many of the letters are to his niece, Harriet Lane and nephew, James Buchanan Henry. Other correspondents are H. B. Swarr, Henry A. Muhlenberg, family members, Francis Scott Key, Riggs & Co., James L. Reynolds, and many political colleagues.
Admin/Biographical History
James Buchanan was born on April 23, 1791 to James Buchanan and Elizabeth Speer. He was the second child born out of ten children, and he would go on to outlive all but one of his siblings. Most popularly remembered as Pennsylvania's only President and as a lifelong bachelor, Buchanan committed a lifetime to politics. In 1821, he left his law practice and embarked on his political career after having been voted into the U.S. House of Representatives. He would remain in the House for five consecutive terms before serving as the U.S. Minister to Russia, a Senator in the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Secretary of State, the U.S. Minister to Great Britain, and finally, the 15th President of the United States. He died in his bedchamber at Wheatland at 8:30 AM on June 1, 1868. He was 77 years old. [https://www.lancasterhistory.org/about-wheatland, accessed 10/24/2019]
System of Arrangement
James Buchanan Family Papers, Part 1 Papers of James Buchanan is arranged into six series.
James Buchanan Papers, Dickinson College Archives & Special Collections http://archives.dickinson.edu/collection-descriptions/james-buchanan-papers
James Buchanan and Harriet Lane Johnston Papers, Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/collections/james-buchanan-and-harriet-lane-johnston-papers/
James Buchanan Papers, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, http://www2.hsp.org/collections/manuscripts/b/Buchanan0091.html
James Buchanan Papers, Penn State University Libraries, https://libraries.psu.edu/findingaids/1458.htm
Related Item Notes
James Buchanan Family Papers
James Buchanan Collection (MG0096) https://collections.lancasterhistory.org/en/permalink/lhdo3760
Historical Society of Pennsylvania microfilm
Photograph Collection
Curatorial Collection
Wheatland Collection
Wheatland Mansion
Notes
Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Collection Title (MG#), Part #, Series #, Box #, Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use digital images and transcriptions when available. Original documents may be used by appointment. Please contact archives@lancasterhistory.org at least two weeks prior to visit.
Copyright
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Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Description Level
Series
Custodial History
The James Buchanan Family Papers were collected by the James Buchanan Foundation for the Preservation of Wheatland. This collection was relocated from the Wheatland mansion to the LancasterHistory archives in the Spring of 2009.
Digitization of the James Buchanan Family Papers was funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, PHMC Appl ID # 201808013051, 2019-2020.
Rectangular top inset with brown/black leather. Molded edge, straight flat sides. Two longer sides have two drawers, each with two round concave areas with small knobs at center. Four legs with bun-and-cylinder turned feet. Legs taper down to feet with two buns terminating on the smaller bun foot.
Left earlobe has broken off. Base is chipped. Various smudge marks all over.
Object ID
W.1960.006.001
Notes
James Buchanan Henry inherited this bust when his Uncle James Buchanan died; his cousin, Harriet Lane Johnston inherited the matching bust, which she later donated to the Corcoran Gallery of Art.
James Buchanan Henry bequeathed this bust to his son, Frank Anderson Henry, who donated it to the James Buchanan Foundation in 1960.
Carved teak(?) 2-pedestal desk of three parts. The two pedestal bases have 3 drawers on one side only & false drawers on the other. Desk section rests on top of bases. Extensive carving over most surfaces: variations of grapes, vines & leaves. Desk section has long center drawer w/ 2 short side drawers; opposing side has matching "dummy" drawers. All functioning drawers are one side only. All drawers have wood pulls. Flanking drawers in bases are tapering pilasters (split columns) with vine and grape leaf carving. Bottom of bases has gadrooned edge with egg-and-dart carving. Both bases sit on 4 bun feet w/ some carving.
Worn finish, with some areas very "weathered/sunbleached", especially lower sections of bases below dummy drawers. Some areas of liquid staining. Desk top also has wear and marring with one chipped corner and a long crack extending in from right end. One drawer pull missing. Drawer slides resurfaced
Object ID
2013.008.017
Notes
A private gift from an acquaintance in India to President-elect James Buchanan. Buchanan used it in the White House.
Place of Origin
India
Credit
Gift of the Family of Eleanor N. Henry (John D. McNeill Jr., Mary Catherine Henry West, James Buchanan Henry IV, and Elizabeth Henry Richardson)
Serpentine-back, enclosed arm sofa, Louis XV (Rococo Revival), has yellow upholstery, finger-molded exposed frame of rosewood or mahogany and a rounded back crested with central cartouche of high relief carved fruit and leafage. Outline of rounded back slopes down to rounded shoulders that descend and curve back in to arms that enclose the sitter. Low arm rests have upholstered arm pads. Cyma-curved arm supports extend to short cabriole legs at front. Square, curving legs at back. Serpentine seat front and serpentine lower outline of seat frame.
One of a pair of Empire side chairs (with 2013.008.22) with yellow upholstered seat and cherry wood frame. Elements of entire frame are flat with rounded fronts. Back uprights have slight cyma curve, surmounted by a long, wide concave tablet. Tablet has low relief foliate carved ends while most of face is covered with a panel of mahogany veneer. Tablet extends beyond back uprights. Horizontal splat at center of back is pierced carved with a central rectangle flanked by half-moon carved shells, and is then supported by paired, loosely scrolled lyre-like "legs" that attach to chair posts. Trapezoid slip seat upholstered in an ivory cotton brocade. Front legs have a slight cyma curve.
One of a pair of Empire side chairs (with 2013.008.21) with yellow upholstered seat and cherry wood frame. Elements of entire frame are flat with rounded fronts. Back uprights have slight cyma curve, surmounted by a long, wide concave tablet. Tablet has low relief foliate carved ends while most of face is covered with a panel of mahogany veneer. Tablet extends beyond back uprights. Horizontal splat at center of back is pierced carved with a central rectangle flanked by half-moon carved shells, and is then supported by paired, loosely scrolled lyre-like "legs" that attach to chair posts. Trapezoid seat. Front legs have a slight cyma curve.
Empire side chair of walnut with yellow upholstered trapezoid seat. Elements of entire frame are flat with rounded fronts. Both front legs and back uprights have slight cyma curve. Scroll-cut and carved wide crest rail with concave shape. It is faced with bookmatched crotch veneer, with kidney-shaped handhold at top center. Outline of two C-scrolls flank hole along top. Paired cyma curves form outline of bottom edge. Rounded ends. Scroll-cut horizontal splat is pierced with low-relief carved confronting C-scrolls at center and scrolling "legs" extending to chair posts. Bowed front seat rail and flattened cabriole front legs.
Walnut rocking chair has caned back and seat. Frame of oval back is finger-molded and is connected to seat frame by two curving legs. Cyma-curve short, low arms connect oval back to seat, with foliate carving at top end. Seat frame is a rounded "D" shape with round outside edge. Ring-turned legs are all connected by a baluster-turned stretcher and sit on rockers with front ends barely extending beyond the front legs.
