The papers of Leonard Gansevoort consist of letters, legal documents, and account books relating to his interest in business, government, and politics. Some of the letters provide information regarding the appointment of delegates to represent New York at the Continental Congress of 1778, and in 1799, the procedures for nomination and election of members for the New York State Assembly. Other significant items include two bills of sale for slaves acquired by Gansevoort. Also included are three bound folio account journals and day books that provide a chronological record of receipts and disbursements for a general mercantile business, situated in Albany, that Leonard Gansevoort operated in partnership with Philip van Rensselaer. These volumes provide a chronological record of receipts and disbursements from January 1, 1788, to March 13, 1794, which list the names of many prominent individuals residing in Albany and the surrounding area, including Philip Schuyler, Stephen Van Rensselaer, Robert Livingston, Jacob Winnie, Jellis Fonda, Peter Vrooman and Peter Gansevoort. The day book provides a detailed listing of specific goods bought and sold while the journals provide a summary of the same account entries. Monetary units were in pounds, shillings and pence. In essence, these early account books are an excellent source of information regarding trade and commerce in the post-Revolutionary era of New York State history.
