American Historical Ephemera and Photography

TAPPAN, Mason (1817-1886). One page ALS ("M.W. Tappan"). Washington, DC, 6 December 1856. Addressed to a "Capt. John Salter" of Portsmouth, NH. In full: "My Dear Sir: Yours of the 3d inst. covering Petition &c has been rec'd. I will take an early opportunity to present it to the House." Tappan was elected to Congress as a Know Nothing (or American) Party representative and thereafter as a Republican representative, serving from 1855-1861. He also served as Colonel of the 1st New Hampshire Infantry Regiment during the first year of the Civil War.  

SMITH, Jerome V.C. (1800-1889). One page ALS ("J.V.C. Smith"). Boston, 2 July 1851. Discussing his travels throughout the "Old World" and offering to lecture at the recipient's institution for $25. Jerome V.C. Smith most notably served as the 14th Mayor of Boston from 1854-1855, having run as the candidate for various third parties including the Know Nothing Party. 

PLUMMER, Charles Henry. 3pp, on bifolium. Copy ALS ("C.H.P."), Lawrence, MA, 3 September 1855. Addressed to George F. Gordon, Esq. Letter with heading reading "Private & Confidential," and with instructions to "burn it up" once read. Rev. Plummer writes that he is being considered as a candidate for Congress, and wants his recipient to write a letter as a correspondent from Philadelphia presenting Plummer's "uniform Native-Americanism," as Plummer believes this will bolster his candidacy. 

[With:] DORR, Thomas W. (1805-1854). 7 15/16 x 3 1/8 in. (staining, laid down on brown paper fragment). Partial ALS ("Thos W. Dorr"). In full: "...Senators. Ought not the secrets of the conclave to be laid open? You will oblige us by a motion to this effect, if you deem it expedient. In fact, the time I hope is not far distant when this practice of disposing of the characters & claims of candidates in the dark will be rebuked & abolished." 

Thomas Dorr was a political leader and reformer in Rhode Island, who founded the Rhode Island Suffrage Association in 1840 and the People's Party in 1841. he and his followers proposed a new state constitution which was passed by the state's voters and under which Dorr was elected Governor. The oligarchical Governor King ordered the arrest of Dorr and his followers, who attempted to capture the Providence Arsenal in what became known as "Dorr's Rebellion."