Passports and Newspaper Clippings, 1836 - 1896

The William Howland Robertson Collection contains a memoir written by Robertson recounting his experiences as a seaman, merchant, and trader based in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama, and later, as the United States Consul to Bremen, Germany, appointed by President Polk. Additionally, the collection contains numerous letters written to Robertson from A. Dudley Mann, his predecessor as United States Consul to Bremen.

The collection also contains letters written by Robinson to his two sons, Touro and Charles, as well as to their tutor, Mrs. Samuel Porter. Also included are Robertson's will; newspaper clippings; a patent held by Robertson for a mattress; photographs of Robertson and his family; a marriage certificate; a memoir of Eli Whitney written by Denison Olmsted, presented to Robertson's son Touro; miscellaneous letters (including letters of introduction to persons in Europe); passports; and other miscellaneous papers; photocopies of correspondence between William P. Fidler, University of Alabama, and Miss Jessie Robertson (William Howland Robertson's granddaughter), and summaries of the memoir and letters prepared by Fidler.

The collection should be of interest to researchers on the capture of Pensacola, Nicholas Biddle and the United States Bank in Philadelphia, the 1848 Revolutions in France, Germany, and Italy, cotton gun-wadding, and the substitution of Indian corn for failed potato crops in Europe and Ireland.