William Insco Buchanan Scrapbooks

This collection consists of two historically significant journal/scrapbooks documenting the diplomatic career of William Insco Buchanan, particularly his involvement in Pan-American conferences and international arbitration. These scrapbooks contain a wealth of original documents, telegrams, printed materials, and newspaper clippings that provide insight into Buchanan’s role in shaping U.S. foreign policy in Latin America during the early twentieth century.

The first scrapbook documents Buchanan’s involvement in international arbitration during the Second Pan-American Conference in Mexico City (October 1901–January 1902). It includes over one hundred original typewritten, printed, and manuscript documents, some signed by U.S. Secretary of State John Hay, Acting Secretary of State Alvey A. Adee, Mexican Delegate Francisco L. de la Barra, and Secretary of the American Peace Society Benjamin F. Trueblood. Additionally, it contains nine period brochures and over fifty newspaper clippings from American and Mexican sources, chronicling Buchanan’s diplomatic efforts in international dispute resolution.

The second scrapbook focuses on Buchanan’s work as Chairman of the U.S. Delegation during the Third Pan-American Conference in Rio de Janeiro (July–August 1906). It includes over fifty original typewritten documents, some signed by key figures such as U.S. Secretary of State Elihu Root, Director of the International Bureau of the American Republics William C. Fox, and U.S. Ambassador in Bogotá John Barrett. Additionally, the scrapbook contains original telegrams from Root, Colombian President Rafael Reyes, Chilean Minister of the Interior Samuel Claro, and Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Ignacio Mariscal, along with fourteen period brochures and printed documents and over ninety newspaper clippings from American and Brazilian publications. These materials offer detailed documentation of Buchanan’s diplomatic efforts and international negotiations.

Together, these scrapbooks provide an invaluable primary source record of U.S.-Latin American diplomatic relations, international arbitration, and the development of Pan-Americanism in the early twentieth century. They offer researchers unique insights into Buchanan’s contributions to diplomacy and the broader geopolitical landscape of the Americas during this period.