Papers of Martin Van Buren explained

The Papers of Martin Van Buren is an ongoing project that is making available to the public all the surviving letters, papers, and other documents from eighth President Martin Van Buren’s lifetime.[1] The project was originally founded in 1969 at Pennsylvania State University, where a microfilm edition of over 14,000 documents was published in 1987. In 2014, Cumberland University relaunched the Papers of Martin Van Buren project with the goal of digitizing the documents and making them freely accessible online.[2]

Description of Van Buren Papers

Like many of his contemporaries, Martin Van Buren understood the importance of his political papers and viewed them as historical records. He took care to preserve a large amount of his own private correspondence as well as other documents he believed would document his career. He was especially careful to preserve the letters between himself and Andrew Jackson, and during his lifetime, he recovered as much of their correspondence as he could with the aim of publication. These letters then passed to his sons, who preserved the collection intact.[3] [4]

Van Buren did not view his mundane or social letters with equal importance and as such, he destroyed many of these letters. His surviving letters show that Van Buren kept up a steady correspondence with several women; however, hardly any of their responses still exist. Van Buren was also careful to destroy confidential letters at the request of their authors. Because of this, the majority of the collection is limited to his political career.

History of the project

The Papers of Martin Van Buren project was officially launched at Pennsylvania State University (PSU) in 1969, headed by Dr. Walter L. Ferree. Previously, Van Buren's papers were scattered among several different repositories, including the Library of Congress, and many were held in private hands. Dr. Ferree's team worked to gather these documents into a single, comprehensive collection. A total of 260 repositories eventually contributed to the approximately 13,000 documents published in the microfilm edition.[5]

The original goal of the Penn State project was to release a letterpress edition, which would be published in two series, totaling fifteen to twenty volumes. The team worked for three years, transcribing handwritten documents and beginning the editing process, before deciding in 1972 to shelve the publication and instead focus on producing a microfilm edition. At the time, the benefits of a microfilm edition made it appear as the only viable route: the publication cost would be far lower; the collection would be available in a period of four or five years rather than the twenty it would take to release a letterpress edition; and the technology of the time was headed in a direction that anticipated microfilm as the best way to access resource material.

In 1976, Ferree retired, and Dr. George Franz of PSU took over leadership.[6] [7] He worked on the project part time until a full-time editor was finally appointed to the project. Lucy Fisher West of Bryn Mawr College took this full-time position in 1986, and the project was completed in 1987. The microfilm edition was published by Chadwyck-Healey, Inc., and it included a comprehensive index compiled by West.[8] [9] [10]

The Papers of Martin Van Buren project was revived in 2014 when Mark Cheathem and James Bradley embarked on a mission to digitize the Papers of Martin Van Buren at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee.[11] The project was officially launched in February 2016 and has partnered since that time with the University of Virginia's Center for Digital Editing.[12] [13]

Editors/project directors

Microfilm edition staff

Microfilm edition advisory board

Staff (Cumberland University)[21]

Staff (Center for Digital Editing)[22]

Current PMVB advisory board

A number of students and volunteers have also contributed to the current project.[23]

Editing process

A Martin Van Buren document is defined as “one written in his hand, at his instruction, and/or with his signature; a printed speech or public remarks verifiable as his own; and correspondence addressed directly to him.” Once a document is identified as an MVB document, the editors and project staff workers begin the transcription and editing process.

In transcription, the microfilm document is consulted, and a typed version is produced. The resultant transcribed document matches the original as close as possible, retaining errors such as misspelled words and unconventional capitalization. Very few minor editorial changes are made to make the documents more readable, such as deleting repeated words and changing end dashes to conventional punctuation. An exhaustive list of these changes is available on the project website.[24]

In many cases, Martin Van Buren's and his contemporaries’ handwriting is difficult to read. The Papers of Martin Van Buren project aims to release completed transcriptions, but the editorial staff share the opinion of the editors at the Jane Addams Papers, who believe it is better to publish 99% of a document instead of waiting to get that last 1%.[25] Documents published on the Van Buren Papers website are all verified first-pass transcriptions: they have been reviewed by an editor once but may still have errors and missing words. Utilizing this approach allows the editors to make documents accessible quickly, and the digital format allows for later revision.

Series

The digital edition is organized into fourteen series.

  1. Kinderhook Years (Dec. 1782 – Dec. 1811): Childhood and time as lawyer and local politician.
  2. Albany Years (Jan. 1812 – 16 Feb. 1815): State senator and War of 1812 prosecutor.
  3. Attorney General and Party Leader (17 Feb. 1815 – Dec. 1821): Attorney general, state senator, founder of Albany Regency, member of state constitutional convention.
  4. U.S. Senator (Dec. 1821 – Dec. 1824): U.S. Senator, supporter of William Crawford for president in 1824 election.
  5. U.S. Senator (Jan. 1825 – 3 March 1829): Reconciliation with DeWitt Clinton, support for Andrew Jackson, formation of Jacksonian Democratic coalition, election of 1828, gubernatorial tenure.
  6. U.S. Secretary of State and U.S. Minister to England (4 March 1829 – 3 March 1833): Jackson's secretary of state, Eaton affair, minister to England, vice-presidential candidate in 1832 election.
  7. Vice President (4 March 1833 – 3 March 1837): Vice-presidential duties, Bank War, 1836 election.
  8. President, pt. 1 (4 March 1837 – Dec. 1837): Panic of 1837, independent treasury, Indian Removal, etc.
  9. President, pt. 2 (Jan.–Dec. 1838): Economic issues, independent treasury, Indian removal, etc.
  10. President, pt. 3 (Jan.–Dec. 1839): Panic of 1839, independent treasury, border conflicts, campaign tour through mid-Atlantic states, etc.
  11. President, pt. 4 (Jan. 1840 – 4 March 1841): Independent treasury, border conflicts, Amistad case, 1840 election, etc.
  12. Defeat and 1844 Campaign (5 March 1841 – Dec. 1844): Return to Kinderhook, 1842 national tour, Texas annexation, 1844 Democratic convention, 1844 election.
  13. Move to Free Soil Party (Jan. 1845 – Dec. 1848): Break from James K. Polk and Democratic Party, Free Soil Party nomination, 1848 election.
  14. Retirement (Jan. 1849 – 24 July 1862): Farming, family life, political correspondence, support for Abraham Lincoln in Civil War, death. (This series also includes undated documents)

Funding

The Papers of Martin Van Buren first received endorsement from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC)—then the National Historical Publications Commission (NHPC)—in 1969, and it began receiving NHPC funding in 1971.

After the project's relaunch, the NHPRC again provided funding by awarding the papers project an initial grant in 2017.[26] The project has been funded by the NHPRC since that time.[27] [28] [29]

In 2018, the project received a grant from the Watson-Brown Foundation that provided funding to hire an assistant editor and associate editor. It also allowed Cumberland University to provide scholarships for students interested in working on the project.[30]

In 2022, the project received funding to hire an associate editor for the 2023-25 grant period.[31]

The future of the project

The Papers of Martin Van Buren website is updated regularly as documents are completed. All of these documents are free to access. The project is also publishing an annotated four-volume print edition of Van Buren's most important letters and speeches with the University of Tennessee Press. The print volumes will also be available through a subscription with the University of Virginia’s Rotunda platform.[32]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: The Strange Case of the Papers of Martin Van Buren. Nashville Scene. 2018-08-29.
  2. News: Cumberland to help digitize presidential papers. The Tennessean. 2018-08-29.
  3. Schouler. James. April 1903. Calhoun, Jackson, and Van Buren Papers. Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Second Series, Vol. 18. 459–65.
  4. Book: West, Lucy Fisher. The Papers of Martin Van Buren: Guide and Index to General Correspondence and Miscellaneous Documents. Chadwyck-Healey. 1989. 978-0898870541. Alexandria, VA. 5–17.
  5. "Cameo Description of the Van Buren Papers." Papers of Martin Van Buren Project Archives, Cornell University, 1974.
  6. Web site: Papers of Martin Van Buren Project Records, 1737-1987. June 22, 2018.
  7. Web site: Franz Webpage--PSU Brandywine.
  8. Web site: Project History. 2016. Van Buren Papers. June 14, 2018.
  9. Cole. Donald B.. 1993. The Papers of Martin Van Buren.. The Journal of American History. 79. 4. 1702. 10.2307/2080370. 0021-8723. 2080370.
  10. TRIPP. WENDELL. 1992. The Papers of Martin Van Buren: Guide and Index to General Correspondence and Miscellaneous Documents (review). New York History. 73. 1. 121. 23182098.
  11. News: A Middle Tennessee University Works To Elevate A Forgotten President — One Page At A Time. Sisk. Chas. Nashville Public Radio. 2018-08-29.
  12. Web site: Papers of Martin Van Buren press conference. February 15, 2016. Lebanon Democrat. June 22, 2018.
  13. Web site: Projects Center for Digital Editing. Center for Digital Editing.
  14. News: 1987-04-10. Obituary for Glyndon G. Van Deusen (Aged 89). 14. Democrat and Chronicle. 2021-11-13.
  15. Baumann. Roland M.. Coleman. John F.. Frantz. John B.. 1993. A Tribute to Philip S. Klein: Friend, Teacher, Scholar June 10, 1909 - February 15, 1993. Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies. 60. 3. 388–390. 0031-4528.
  16. News: 1990-05-25. Charles M. Wiltse; Historian, 83. en-US. The New York Times. 2021-11-13. 0362-4331.
  17. Web site: Hamilton, Holman Lexington History Museum. 2021-11-13. lexhistory.org.
  18. News: Sandomir. Richard. 2017-08-21. Leo Hershkowitz, 92, Dies; Unearthed New York City History. en-US. The New York Times. 2021-11-13. 0362-4331.
  19. Web site: Andrew Bruso. College mourns passing of Donald Roper, professor emeritus of history – SUNY New Paltz News. 2021-11-13. en-US.
  20. Web site: Guide to the Pennsylvania State University Press Records, 1949-2006 317. 2021-11-13. libraries.psu.edu. en.
  21. Web site: Editorial Staff. 2016. Van Buren Papers. June 14, 2018.
  22. Web site: About Us Center for Digital Editing. Center for Digital Editing.
  23. Web site: Editorial Staff The Papers of Martin Van Buren. 2021-11-13. vanburenpapers.org.
  24. Web site: Editorial Process. 2016. Van Buren Papers. June 14, 2018.
  25. Web site: What Did Jane Write? Publishing Transcribed Documents in a Digital Edition. Hajo. Cathy Moran. May 11, 2016. The Jane Addams Papers Project. June 14, 2018.
  26. Web site: NHPRC Grants - May 2017. April 4, 2018. National Historical Publications & Records Commission. June 14, 2018.
  27. Web site: NHPRC Grants, 2018-19.
  28. Web site: Cumberland University Papers of Martin Van Buren Project Receives $143,888 Grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. 2019-05-22. Cumberland University. en-US. 2020-05-02.
  29. Web site: 2021-05-20. National Archives Awards $3.9 Million in Grants for Documentary Editing and Archival Projects. 2021-05-27. National Archives. en.
  30. Web site: Van Buren Papers Receives Major Grant. 2016. Van Buren Papers. June 14, 2018.
  31. Web site: NEH Announces $31.5 Million for 226 Humanities Projects Nationwide . 2023-01-19 . The National Endowment for the Humanities . en.
  32. Web site: CU launches project on papers of Martin Van Buren. February 11, 2016. Cumberland University. June 14, 2018.

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