The Major collection of letters from Liberia, 1830-1854 and 1994.

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The Major collection of letters from Liberia, 1830-1854 and 1994.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/741523206

Collection consists of twelve complete letters, appended notes, and letter fragments written between 1830 and 1854 by emancipated slaves residing in Liberia. Their former master Benjamin Major and his family, of Eureka, Ill., were the recipents. The letters written by four different individuals, Tolbert Major, Austin Major, Wesley Harland, and Tolbert's wife, Selvay, describe the vagaries of life in Africa, family matters, the weather and native vegetation, and the recurring troubles that occurred with the indigenous population. Requests were also made to Benjamin Major for a variety of supplies, such as cotton and paper, which were scarce or needed to replace items lost at various times, and greetings were passed to family members and acquaintances still in this country.

1 box.

Mclean County Historical Society Library

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 8113670

Mclean County Historical Society Library

Related Entities

There are 14 Entities related to this resource.

Major, Benjamin, 1796-1852

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6pk3m7m (person)

In the late 1820s, possibly as a result of his friendship with Alexander Campbell, founder of the Disciples of Christ Church, Benjamin Major came to the conclusion that slavery was wrong. He freed his eight slaves and paid their passage to Liberia, where they arrived in late summer of 1830. The Major family moved from Christian County, Kentucky, to Woodford County, Ill., in 1834. From the description of The Major collection of letters from Liberia, 1830-1854 and 1994. (Unknown). Worl...

Majors, Lucy.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w68m0fmz (person)

Major, Austin

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6dr60w2 (person)

Harland, Wesley

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w68p94kw (person)

Bradson, Shelvay.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6cg2tq5 (person)

Majors, John.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6tf320q (person)

Major, Selvay

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6g19c2c (person)

Harlan, Agnes.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w66x2gcg (person)

Majors family

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6sc3bqf (family)

Harland, George A

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6bk4h83 (person)

Harlands, Enock.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6j99bjm (person)

Gebhardt, Kristy.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6nw2p6d (person)

Major, Tolbert

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w63n57p2 (person)

Watkins, Edward R.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w62j9gtx (person)