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

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

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

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.

1 box (.38 cu. ft.)

University of New Mexico-Main Campus

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SNAC Resource ID: 7570763

University of New Mexico-Main Campus

Related Entities

There are 4 Entities related to this resource.

Clark family.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6dg5x7k (family)

United States. Army

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6km312r (corporateBody)

The United States Army is the largest branch of the United States Armed Forces and performs land-based military operations. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States and is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution, Article 2, Section 2, Clause 1 and United States Code, Title 10, Subtitle B, Chapter 301, Section 3001. As the largest and senior branch of the U.S. military, the modern U.S. Army has its roots in the Continental Army, which wa...

Clarke, Mary (Mary McGowan)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w63n58pg (person)

Clarke, Charles Francis, 1827-1862

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6bp38c6 (person)

According to the author who published many of Clarke's letters, "Frank and Mary Clarke were among the tens of thousands of European immigrants who flocked to the United States during the first half of the nineteenth century to look for a better life." Charles Francis Clark, of Suffolk, England, immigrated to the United States in 1847, driven by wanderlust. As Darlis Miller explains, "Clarke abandoned England at a time when Europe was being inundated with promotional literature that touted wester...