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Charles Francis Clarke Papers, 1847-1914 (bulk 1848-1971)

Title: Charles Francis Clarke Papers 1847-1914 (bulk 1848-1971)

This collection consists of correspondence and other papers pertaining to CharlesFrancis Clarke, British immigrant-turned-pioneer on the Western frontier. Most correspondence in this collection pertains to Clarke, his wife Mary, and his parents in England. This correspondence details pioneer life and newsworthy events of the early- and mid-1800s from the perspective of an immigrant family and enlisted man.

ArchivalResource: 1 box (.38 cu. ft.)

http://rmoa.unm.edu/docviewer.php?docId=nmu1mss88bc.xml View

Clarke, Charles Francis, 1827-1862. Papers, 1847-1914 (bulk 1848-1871).

Title: Papers, 1847-1914 (bulk 1848-1871).

The first letters in this collection, from Charles Francis Clarke to his father, describe his journey to the United States and all that he encountered here, as well as his difficulties. They also note his travels within the United States and to Mexico. His letters document assorted details of the fur trade, and the gold rush (the draw of which led to the end of Clarke's fur trading and the departure of his partner with Clarke's earnings from this business). His letters reflect the political situations of the time, including criticisms of General Taylor as a slave holder and the acquisition of Territories by the United States. Subsequent letters document Clarke's marriage to Mary, the births of their children, and the death of one child. This era also includes reports of the Mormons in Utah. Letters written prior to the beginning of the Civil War note unrest and conflict over slavery, as well as Clarke's own position on slavery as a "great evil and national stain." Later letters discuss the nature of the Civil War. Global concerns are also reflected as Clarke writes to his family in England about news of "mutiny and massacres in India" in 1857. After Clarke's death in 1862, Mary took on correspondence with Clarke's family in England. These letters reflect less of the surrounding political context, and more family-related details, the difficulties of widowhood, descriptions of pioneer life in Kansas Territory.

ArchivalResource: 1 box (.38 cu. ft.)

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/46860762 View