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Amasa J. Parker Papers

A Finding Aid to the Collection in the Library of Congress


Prepared by T. Michael Womack

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Manuscript Division, Library of Congress

Washington, D.C.

2009

Contact information: http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/mss/address.html

Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress Manuscript Division, 2009

Finding aid URL: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.ms008132


Table of Contents

Collection Summary

Selected Search Terms

Personal Names

Organizations

Subjects

Locations

Occupations

Administrative Information

Provenance:

Processing History:

Copyright Status:

Access and Restrictions

Preferred Citation:

Scope and Content Note

Arrangement of the Papers

Container List


Collection Summary

Title: Amasa J. Parker Papers
Span Dates: 1836-1875
Bulk Dates: (bulk 1837-1839)
ID No.: MSS35477
Creator: Parker, Amasa J. (Amasa Junius), 1807-1890
Extent: 170 items; 1 container plus 1 oversize ; 0.2 linear feet
Language: Collection material in English
Repository: Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Abstract: United States representative, lawyer, and jurist. Chiefly letters written by Parker while serving in the United States Congress in Washington, D.C. from 1837 to 1839.

Selected Search Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically therein.

Personal Names

Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848.
Calhoun, John C. (John Caldwell), 1782-1850.
Parker, Amasa J. (Amasa Junius), 1807-1890.
Parker, Harriet Langdon Roberts--Correspondence.
Webster, Daniel, 1782-1852.

Organizations

United States Capitol (Washington, D.C.)
United States. Congress.
United States. Congress. Senate--Elections, 1876.

Subjects

Dueling--United States.
Indians of North America--Government relations.
Practice of law--New York (State)
Theater--Washington (D.C)

Locations

Delhi (N.Y.)--History.
New York (State)--Politics and government--1775-1865.
United States--Politics and government--1837-1841.
Washington (D.C.)--Description and travel.
Washington (D.C.)--Social life and customs.

Occupations

Jurists.
Lawyers.
Representatives, U.S. Congress--New York (State)

Administrative Information

Provenance:

The papers of Amasa J. Parker, United States representative from New York and jurist, were given to the Library of Congress by his granddaughter, Huybertie Lansing Pruyn Hamlin, in 1942.

Processing History:

The papers of Amasa J. Parker were arranged and described in 1998. The finding aid was revised in 2009.

Copyright Status:

The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Amasa J. Parker is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).

Access and Restrictions

The papers of Amasa J. Parker are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.

Preferred Citation:

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container number, Amasa J. Parker Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Scope and Content Note

The papers of Amasa Junius Parker (1807-1890) span the years 1836-1875, with the bulk of the items concentrated in the period between 1837 and 1839. Parker began his career as a lawyer in Delhi, New York, where he was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives for one term, 1837-1839. Declining candidacy for renomination in 1838, he returned to his law practice in Delhi, later became a judge, and in 1848 moved his practice to Albany, New York. He was an unsuccessful candidate for governor of New York in 1856 and 1858 and for the United States Senate in 1875. Parker died in Albany in 1890.

The collection consists almost entirely of letters from Parker to his wife Harriet in Delhi while he was a member of Congress. In his early letters, Parker describes his trip to Washington, D.C., the city itself, his living quarters, the Capitol building, choosing his seat in the House, and impressions of prominent politicians such as John Qunicy Adams, John C. Calhoun, and Daniel Webster. Other subjects covered include Indian affairs, dueling, Washington society and theater, and political observations. Of particular note is a letter containing an illustration of the dining table seating arrangement of the congressional delegation at Mrs. Pittman's boarding house where Parker lodged. Among the group were two future Democratic presidents, Millard B. Fillmore and James Buchanan.

Letters written after 1839 are from Parker to his wife while on the lawyer's circuit in New York. The miscellany contains a newspaper illustration of Parker in 1875 announcing his bid as a Democratic candidate for the United States Senate.

Arrangement of the Papers

This collection is arranged alphaberically by type of material.


Container List

ContainerContents
BOX 1Letters, 1836-1844
(4 folders)
BOX 1Miscellany, 1875, undated See Oversize
BOX OV 1Oversize
BOX OV 1Miscellany
BOX OV 1Newspaper illustration, 1875 (Container 1)


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