American Settlement Company letter and constitution
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No requestable containers
Scope and Contents
This constitution and letter is related to The American Land Settlement Company, a New York-based company which sold plots of land to settlers moving to the Kansas territory.
The company's constitution outlines the company's intent to purchase 240 acres of land in the Kansas territory and form a county, providing settlers with support to create a municipal government and a community infrastructure. The constitution is signed by G. W. Brown, a company agent, and dated 1854.
The letter, written by company agent Theodore Dwight, is dated June 11, 1855, and describes a trip taken by Dwight to visit relatives in Newtown, Kansas.
Dates
- Creation: 1855-06-11
Creator
- Dwight, Theodore (Author, Person)
- American Settlement Company (Organization)
- Williams, A. S., III (Collector, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Due to the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access to certain materials may require additional advance notice.
Biographical / Historical
Modeled after earlier emigrant aid organizations, such as the New England Emigrant Aid Company, the American Settlement Company was founded in approximately 1855 to sell plots of land in the Kansas territory and provide support to new settlers. The company, based in New York, purchased 240 acres of land in the Kansas territory and founded Council City (later renamed Burlingame). The company's charter assured potential settlers that the American Settlement Company would provide support in founding a municipal government and that they could expect to enjoy "the literary, social and civil privileges of the old States" in the Kansas territory.
Source: Johnson, Samuel A. "The Emigrant Aid Company in Kansas." Kansas Historical Quarterly, www.kshs.org/p/kansas-historical-quarterly-the-emigrant-aid-company-in-kansas/12561.
Extent
0.05 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Constitution of the American Settlement Company (a subscription company which sold plots of land to Kansas settlers) and a letter written by a company representative
Physical Location
The A. S. Williams Americana Collection, Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library, The University of Alabama
Provenance
Gift of A. S. Williams III, 2010
General
Title on box: A. S. Williams III Americana Collection - Small Collections
Processed by
Haley Aaron, 2013
Source
- Williams, A. S., III (Donor, Person)
- Title
- Guide to the American Settlement Company letter and constitution
- Status
- Completed
- Date
- January 2014
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the The University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections Repository