hou01973 Sumner, Charles, 1811-1874. Charles Sumner compositions (MS Am 1.60) : Guide. 05/15/2008 J. F. Coakley Finding aid prepared using DACS 11/07/2013 Loaded into OASIS MS Am 1.60 Sumner, Charles, 1811-1874. Charles Sumner compositions: Guide. Houghton Library, Harvard College Library

Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138

© 2008 The President and Fellows of Harvard College

Last update on 2008 June 10

Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University b MS Am 1.60 Sumner, Charles, 1811-1874. Charles Sumner compositions, 1827-1872. 1 box (.5 linear ft.) Collection materials are in English, French, and Latin. Compositions by Charles Sumner, chiefly speeches and speaking notes, and including quotations copied by him from books.

Processed by: J. F. Coakley.

Gift of the family of Edward L. Pierce; received: 1918 and at other dates. Some items received in 1897 were recataloged from MS Am 1.50.

Preferred Citation for Publication:

Charles Sumner Compositions (MS Am 1.60). Houghton Library, Harvard University.

Charles Sumner (1811-1874) was a Republican senator from Massachusetts and a principal figure in the anti-slavery movement.

Arranged in a single series in approximate chronological order. Undated items are at the end.

Miscellaneous compositions of Charles Sumner, including texts of speeches and speaking-notes, and other notes, chiefly quotations from his reading.

Correspondence with Sumner is a separate collection, MS Am 1.

Further quotations copied by Sumner are in his commonplace book, MS Am 1.50.

(1) A chronological compendium of English history, 1825. 1 v. (86 p.) in 1 folder.

Autograph manuscript in a school notebook.

"Sumner at 14 his abstract of English History" - accompanying note by E. L. Pierce.

Gift of the family of E. L. Pierce, 1918.

(2) Verses, [182-]. 1 leaf in 1 folder.

Autograph manuscript of a poem in 3 stanzas.

With a note by E. L. Pierce identifying it as Sumner's writing.

Gift of the family of E. L. Pierce, 1918.

(3) Map and description of the tombs of Major John Lucan and Major Job Sumner, [between 1827 and 1829]. 1 leaf in 1 folder.

Autograph manuscript. 17 cm.

Date from old cataloging.

Gift of the family of E. L. Pierce, 1918.

(4) Notes for a lecture, [1836 or 1837]. 2 leaves in 1 folder.

Autograph manuscript.

Date from old cataloging.

Gift of the family of E. L. Pierce, 1918.

(5) Notes for a lecture, [1837]. 3 leaves in 1 folder.

Autograph manuscript.

"On the Constitution delivered before the Adelphi Society" - old cataloging.

Gift of the family of E. L. Pierce, 1918.

(6) Diary of Sumner's trip to Europe, 1837-1838. 268 p. in 1 folder.

From 25 December 1837 to 15 April 1838.

Autograph manuscript written on bifolia. Many leaves have printed souvenirs (bills, programs, etc.) and letters pasted on.

Gift of the family of E. L. Pierce, 1918.

 (7) The true grandeur of nations, 1845. 59 leaves in 1 folder.

Autograph manuscript of an address given in Tremont Temple, Boston, on 4 July 1845.

Irregular pagination 1-75.

See Pierce, Memoir and letters of Charles Sumner, vol. 2 (Boston 1878), 343-390.

Gift of the family of E. L. Pierce, 1918.

 (8) Adams, John Calvin, 1810-1885. General Taylor and the Wilmot Proviso, 1848. 30 p. and 1 bifolium in 1 folder.

Printed pamphlet, 23 cm., with autograph manuscript annotations by Sumner. Marked "This pamphlet used by Mr. Sumner in connection with his speeches in 1848. E.L.P."

With a further 2 leaves, 26 cm., with clippings on the same subject pasted on and annotated by Sumner.

Gift of the family of E. L. Pierce, 1918.

 (9) Notes for a speech, 1848. 4 leaves in 1 folder.

Autograph manuscript, annotated by E. L. Pierce "Mem[orandum] of Mr Sumner's speech at various places in 1848".

Gift of the family of E. L. Pierce, 1918.

(10) The law of human progress, 1848. 62 p. in 1 folder.

Oration delivered at Union College, 25 July 1848. See Works of Charles Sumner (Boston 1875), 90-138.

Autograph manuscript, irregularly paginated.

Gift of the family of E. L. Pierce, 1918.

(11) Our immediate anti-slavery duties, [1850]. 5 leaves in 1 folder.

Autograph manuscript of part of a speech given at Faneuil Hall, Boston, 6 November 1850.

See Works of Charles Sumner (Boston 1875), 401ff.:

Gift of the family of E. L. Pierce, 1918.

(12) Our immediate anti-slavery duties, [1850]. 15 leaves in 1 folder.

Autograph manuscript of another part of the same speech as the previous item.

See Works of Charles Sumner (Boston 1875), 404ff.

Gift of the family of E. L. Pierce, 1918.

(13) Our immediate anti-slavery duties, [1850]. 15 leaves in 1 folder.

Autograph manuscript of another part of the same speech as the previous item.

See Works of Charles Sumner (Boston 1875), 413ff.

Gift of the family of E. L. Pierce, 1918.

(14) Notes for a speech, [1853?]. 4 leaves in 1 folder.

Autograph manuscript.

"Sumner's mem[orandum] of popular speech 1855 on new constitution" - note by E.L. Pierce on accompanying envelope. Old cataloging dates to 1853.

Gift of the family of E. L. Pierce, 1918.

(15) Text of a speech, [1853?]. 1 leaf in 1 folder.

Autograph manuscript.

A fragment, mentioning a proposed new Massachusetts constitution.

Recataloged from MS Am 1.50. Gift of the family of E. L. Pierce, 1897.

(16) Text of a Senate resolution, [ca. 1856]. 4 leaves in 1 folder.

Autograph manuscript.

An expression of sympathy with the people of Crete. Date from old cataloging.

Recataloged from bMS Am 1.19 (29).

(17) Text of a speech, [1856 or 1857]. 2 leaves in 1 folder.

Autograph manuscript.

A fragment, the leaves numbered 11 and 12. Date from old cataloging.

Gift of the family of E. L. Pierce, 1918.

(18) The barbarism of slavery, 1860. 15 leaves in 1 folder.

Text of a speech to the Senate on 4 June 1860.

Printed text in newspaper columns pasted up 3 columns to a page with Sumner's occasional autograph manuscript alterations.

See C. Edwards Lester, Life and public services of Charles Sumner (New York 1874), 312-340.

Gift of the family of E. L. Pierce, 1918.

(19) The barbarism of slavery, 1860. 10 leaves and 1 envelope in 1 folder.

Apparently fragments from a printer's proof of the same speech as in the previous item, with Sumner's autograph manuscript alterations and additions.

Includes Sumner's transcript of a letter to him from Josiah Quincy, 1860.

Gift of the family of E. L. Pierce, 1918.

(20) Text of a speech, 1860. 2 leaves in 1 folder.

A fragment of an autograph manuscript, the leaves numbered 9 and 10. Annotated by E. L. Pierce (?) "New York speech 1860".

Recataloged from MS Am 1.50. Gift of the family of E. L. Pierce, 1897.

(21) Memorandum on separation and divorce, [ca. 1867]. 3 leaves in 1 folder.

Autograph manuscript.

Gift of Dr. George B. Pierce, 1942. *42M-565.

(22) Text of a speech, 1872. 3 leaves in 1 folder.

Autograph manuscript.

"1872 declining nomination for Governor" - inscription in Sumner's hand on verso of last leaf.

Gift of the family of E. L. Pierce, 1918.

(23) Text of a speech, [1872?]. 1 leaf in 1 folder.

Autograph manuscript.

A fragment. "Perhaps a proposed platform in 1872" - old cataloging.

Gift of the family of E. L. Pierce, 1918.

(24) Narrative, undated. 1 leaf in 1 folder.

Autograph manuscript.

A fragment.

With an envelope addressed to E. L. Pierce, and a cut-out slip, both containing Sumner's autograph signature.

Recataloged from MS Am 1.50. Gift of the family of E. L. Pierce, 1897.

(25) Oak leaves with note of provenance by Sumner, undated. 1 cluster of dried oak leaves and 1 leaf of paper in 1 folder.

Autograph manuscript.

"From the Washington Oak on the island at the Peterhoff near St. Petersburgh, the oak having grown from an acorn carried from Mt. Vernon to Russia by Geo Sumner" - Sumner's note.

Gift of the family of E. L. Pierce, 1918.

(26) Reading notes, undated. Ca. 119 slips in 12 folders.

Largely quotations copied by Sumner in his own hand from his reading, some in French and Latin, on slips of paper of various sizes. A few quotations are in other hands.

Most of the slips were recataloged from MS Am 1.50, the gift of the family of E. L. Pierce, 1897.