José Francisco Correia da Serra papers, 1772-1827

  1. Resources
  2. View Resource

ArchivalResource

José Francisco Correia da Serra papers, 1772-1827

1772-1827

https://search.amphilsoc.org/collections/view?docId=ead/Mss.B.C81.1-ead.xml;brand=default

The collection consists primarily of letters and essays on matters related to botany as well as Correia's role as Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States. They were written between 1772 and 1827. Also included are several letters and notes by Richard Beale and other persons about Davis's research on Correia, dated 1949 to 1957. The collection includes a typed table of contents (1958). The largest single group of letters (25) was written by Correa to John Quincy Adams between 1817 and 1820, when Correia served as Minister Plenipotentiary. They concern official business, including the appointment of various officials and, most prominently, the persistent troubles with American privateers and Correia's efforts to get the American government to do something about it. Other noteworthy items dealing with official business include a letter by Correia to James Monroe in which he protests a number of assaults by American privateers on Portuguese vessels (1816), and several letters to Secretary of State Richard Rush in which Correia expresses his displeasure about the support given by American citizens to "rebels" in the Portuguese colony of Pernambuco (1817). A letter by Rush to Madison testifies to Correia's persistence; Rush writes that among the foreign ministers, "the Abbe Correa was the one with whom my official relations were the least smooth" (1817). Correa, in turn, complained to John Quincy Adams in 1819 that "during more than two years, I have been obliged by my duty to oppose the systematic and organized depredations daily committed on the property of Portuguese subjects." Of interest is also a letter to the Count of Palmela in which Correia assesses the policies of various colonial governments in the West Indies (1820). Another significant body of letters is addressed to James Edward Smith, a botanist and founder of the Linnean Society in London. The letters, which are dated between 1795 and 1821, deal primarily with botanical matters, including news about fellow botanists, such as Antoine Laurent de Jussieu (1800). The letters are friendly and frequently also include personal news. The letter of September 1801 deals with Correia's troubles in Portugal. The collection includes several letters by Correia to Thomas Jefferson. They are friendly letters that reflect their shared interests in the natural sciences. In one letter, for example, Correia writes about his pleasure of sending notes on Captain Lewis's papers to Jefferson (1816), and another one describes Correia's intention of visiting Monticello (1818). There is also an undated list of books forwarded to Jefferson. Items that reflect Correia's interest in the natural sciences generally, and botany specifically, include three letters by Correia to Carl Linnaeus when Correia was still a student in Rome (1772, 1773, 1774). Written in Latin, the letters deal with botanical topics. A letter to Joseph Banks, written while Correia resided in Philadelphia, refers to seeds and papers that Correia had sent to London (1803), and an undated note in French confirms Correia's dinner appointment with Alexander von Humboldt. Several letters shed light on Correia's interest in and affection for the United States. A letter to Fulwar Skipwith refers to Correia's idea of living in America as "the utmost of my wishes" and his belief that only an official invitation by the government would make this possible (1808). There is also a letter of introduction for Correia by J. Dauxion Lavaysse, addressed to Benjamin Rush (1811), and a letter of introduction for Robert M. Patterson by Correia, addressed to Smith (1811). A letter written in 1814 refers to Correia's difficulty of sending money to Paris during Jefferson's embargo. Also of note is a letter to President Madison in which Correia offers suggestions on how the United States could take advantage of its mineral resources as well as lands as sources of revenue (1814). Correia comments extensively on the "new faculty" of the University of Pennsylvania in a letter to William Rawle (1816). A letter of condolence to Elizabeth Mifflin Wistar speaks to his friendship with the Philadelphia physician Caspar Wistar (1818). The collection also includes an obituary of C. Wistar written by Correia (1818). Letters written by individuals other then Correia include one by Joseph Banks (1810, in French), and a letter by Joseph Rademaker, Consul general of Portugal, to Secretary of State James Monroe (1816?). There is a group of letters exchanged between Thomas Cooper and Thomas Jefferson which deal with the University of Virginia, including matters relating to the faculty and Cooper's efforts to secure minerals and works of art (1817-1819). One letter from John Vaughan to Jefferson suggests Landeren Vanapan, who had been recommended by Correia, for a position at the university (1821), and another one by Jefferson to Robert Walsh declines Walsh's request for material on Jefferson's life, due primarily to Jefferson's advanced age and poor health (1823). A friendly letter by Jefferson to Walsh mentions Correia as well as a book on skepticism that Jefferson had recently read (1818). There are also five letters by Henry Muhlenberg to Stephen Elliott, dealing with botanical matters (1812, 1813, 1814). Finally, a particularly heartfelt letter by Francis W. Gilmer informs Dabney Carr of Correia's departure from the United States in 1820. Also included in the collection are essays by Correia on several topics, including the "Natural Family of the Aurantia" (1799), the Doryantes (1800), botany (in Latin, undated), "The case of the Brazilian Indian," and "A description of great English houses and gardens." There are also reports that Correia prepared for the APS, and there is a dedication to several individuals, including Correia, that was included in Thomas Nuttall's Journal of the Travels (1821).

0.5 Linear Feet, 200 items

lat, Latn

fre, Latn

eng, Latn

American Philosophical Society Library

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 6773632

American Philosophical Society Library

Related Entities

There are 21 Entities related to this resource.

Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6bw87kf (corporateBody)

After elected president, Thomas Jefferson wanted a direct and practicable water communication across the continent and US sovereignty over the land occupied by the many different Indian tribes along the Missouri River. In 1803, Jefferson commissioned the Corps of Discovery and named Army Captain Meriwether Lewis its leader. Lewis selected William Clark as second in command. The Corps of Discovery departed from Camp Dubois (Illinois) on May 14, 1804, and met up with Lewis in St. Charles, Missour...

Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6f873mk (person)

John Quincy Adams (b. July 11, 1767, Braintree, Massachusetts-d. February 23, 1848, Washington, D.C.) was an American statesman who served as a diplomat, United States Senator, member of the House of Representatives, and the sixth President of the United States. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later the Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. He was the son of President John Adams and Abigail Adams. As a diplomat, Adams played an important role in neg...

Vaughan, John, 1756-1841

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w658231k (person)

John Vaughan (1756–1841, APS 1784) was a wine merchant, philanthropist, and long-time treasurer and librarian of the American Philosophical Society. A native of England, Vaughan moved to Philadelphia in 1782. He soon was one of the most respected members of Philadelphia society, largely because of his tireless support of numerous literary, scientific and benevolent causes. Over the course of his five decades of service to the American Philosophical Society, Vaughan met and correspo...

Von Humboldt, Alexander, 1769-1859

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w68735qb (person)

Born in Berlin, Germany, and educated at the universities of Frankfurt and Göttingen, Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was one of the most prominent European figures of his age. His fame largely derived from his scientific expedition in Latin America between 1799 and 1804, which resulted in numerous discoveries, particularly related to physical geography and meteorology. Notably, he spent 1803 in New Spain (present day Mexico) conducting a census of the territory. Source: Alexander von ...

American Philosophical Society

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6gn8xhn (corporateBody)

Benjamin Franklin founded the American Philosophical Society in 1743 in Philadelphia, patterning it after the Royal Society of London. It's purpose was the promotion of the study of science and the practical arts of agriculture, engineering trades, and manufactures. Subjects of today's "philosophy" were generally excluded from the societies of the 17th and 18th centuries and the word "philosophy" meant to them "love of knowledge," and was essentially the equivalent of today's "science." Interest...

Davis, Richard Beale

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w60k52mg (person)

Smith, James Edward, 1759-1828

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w61g15r8 (person)

José Francisco Correia da Serra (1750–1823, APS 1812) was an abbot, diplomat, scholar and botanist. In his work as a botanist he was particularly concerned with the systematic classification of vegetable species. Thomas Jefferson described him as “profoundly learned in several branches of science he was so above all others in that of Botany; in which he preferred an amalgamation of the methods of Linnaeus [1707-1778, APS 1769] and of Jussieu [1686-1758] to either of them exclusively...

Du Ponceau, Peter Stephen, 1760-1844

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6mp54tm (person)

Du Ponceau was a Philadelphia lawyer who arrived in Portsmouth, N.H., from France in 1777, achieved early prominence as an aide to von Steuben, and as secretary to Robert Livingston, Secretary of Foreign Affairs for the Congress in 1781. Du Ponceau was admitted to the Philadelphia Bar in 1785 where his familiarity with both American and European law brought him an important practice. His intellectual interests included both history and linguistics and he published extensively in both fields. He ...

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6vv2g33 (person)

James Monroe, fifth president of the United States of America (b. April 28, 1758, Monroe Hall, Virginia-d. July 4, 1831, New York, New York) fought with distinction in the Continental Army, and he practiced law in Fredericksburg, Virginia. As a young politician, he joined the anti-Federalists in the Virginia Convention which ratified the Constitution, and in 1790, an advocate of Jeffersonian policies, he was elected United States Senator. As Minister to France in 1794-1796, Monroe showed strong ...

Corrêa da Serra, Edward Joseph, b. 1803.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w68w7mdr (person)

Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w60d5jrb (person)

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was an American statesman and third president of the United States. From the description of Thomas Jefferson letter, 1809. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 367818629 Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was the third president of the United States, born in Goochland (now Albemarle County), Virginia. He was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses from 1769 to 1775, and with R. H. Lee and Patrick Henry initiated the inter-colonial committee of correspond...

Muhlenberg, Henry, 1753-1815

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6hd8kcm (person)

Henry Muhlenberg was a Lutheran clergyman and botanist. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1785. From the description of Observationes botanicae de plantis Americae septentrionalis, 1807-1811. (American Philosophical Society Library). WorldCat record id: 122380086 From the description of Correspondence, 1779-1815. (American Philosophical Society Library). WorldCat record id: 122644685 Henry Muhlenberg was a Lutheran clergyman and botanist; he wa...

Cooper, Thomas, 1759-1839

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6rn3bbz (person)

Epithet: abolitionist British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000001188.0x000283 Thomas Cooper, born in London in 1759, immigrated to Pennsylvania in 1794. Well-known for his political beliefs, Cooper eventually pursued a career as a science professor and became the second president of South Carolina College in 1821. From the guide to the Thomas Cooper Papers, ., 1819-1837, (University of North Carolina at Cha...

Rawle, William, 1759-1836

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6k077gx (person)

William Rawle was born to a Quaker family in Philadelphia on April 28, 1759. His stepfather was Samuel Shoemaker, who served as a mayor of Philadelphia during the American Revolution. A Loyalist, Rawle fled to New York on the sloop Harlem in June 1778, when the British evacuated Philadelphia. After studying law in New York, Rawle traveled to Cork, Ireland, and London, England, in 1781. In London, Rawle studied law at the Middle Temple until his departure for France in late June or early July 178...

Rush, Richard, 1780-1859

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w63f4n3z (person)

The Wyoming Controversy was a conflict between the governments of Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Britain, the Continental Congress, and the Indians over land in the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania. From the guide to the Documents relating to the Wyoming Controversy, 1751-1814, 1823, 1751-1823, (American Philosophical Society) Richard Rush (1780-1859) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A graduate of Princeton University, he was a lawyer before beginning his political care...

Ord, George, 1781-1866

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w68w3fcq (person)

George Ord was a naturalist and philologist. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1817. From the description of Correspondence, 1844-1852, to Titian Ramsay Peale. (American Philosophical Society Library). WorldCat record id: 122632852 From the description of Notes, [n.d.], on the use of French verbs. (American Philosophical Society Library). WorldCat record id: 122380137 Ord was a naturalist and philologist. From the description of Geo...

Madison, James, 1751-1836

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w64850wc (person)

James Madison (1751-1836) was the fourth president of the United States, born in Port Conway, Virginia. He was a member of the Virginia legislature from 1776 to 1780 and from 1784 to 1786, and the Continental Congress from 1780 to 1783. His proposals at and management of the Constitutional Convention in 1787 earned him title "father of the U.S. Constitution." He cooperated with Alexander Hamilton and Jay in writing a series of papers (pub. 1787-88 under title of The Federalist) explaining the ne...

Correia da Serra, José Francisco, 1750-1823

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6f47rx3 (person)

Portuguese statesman; scholar and botanist. From the description of Autograph letter signed : Washington, to [Thomas Jefferson], 1817 Feb. 22. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 270530939 José Francisco Correia da Serra was a Portuguese scholar, naturalist, and diplomat. Caspar Wistar was a Philadelphia physician. From the description of Note nécrologique sur le Docteur Wistar, 1818. (American Philosophical Society Library). WorldCat record id: 122539921 J...

Skipwith, Fulwar, 1765-1839

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6dj5vc7 (person)

U.S. consul-general and commercial agent, Paris, France; later served as governor of the province of West Florida and the Louisiana Senate; of Louisiana. From the description of Papers, 1793-1807. (Mystic Seaport Museum, G W Blunt White Library). WorldCat record id: 70955757 From the description of Fulwar Skipwith papers, 1793-1807. (Mystic Seaport Museum, G W Blunt White Library). WorldCat record id: 47727970 Skipwith, a native Virginian, was appointed consul gener...

Walsh, R. (Robert), 1772-1852

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6rz1427 (person)

Epithet: junior, LLD, US Consul in Paris British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000000751.0x000312 ...

Wistar, Caspar, 1761-1818

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6kk9b5r (person)

Caspar Wistar taught chemistry at the College of Philadelphia from 1789 to 1792. This College, with the University of the State of Pennsylvania, would become the University of Pennsylvania in 1791. From the description of Lectures : on chemistry, 1790. (University of Pennsylvania Library). WorldCat record id: 122621060 Philadelphia physician. From the description of ALS : to an unidentified correspondent, 1817 July 14. (Rosenbach Museum & Library). WorldCat r...