Libraries of Early America

Description: This group's members include those Legacy Library subjects who spent all or part of their lives in America and collected primarily before 1825. Their books have been carefully cataloged using printed bibliographies, library catalogs, and extant copies where available.

For bibliographical notes on these collections, please visit the Complete Collections page.

For a constantly-growing list of potential collections, please visit the Collections To Be Added page.

For the conventions used in the cataloging of these collections, see the Editorial Guidelines page.

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Do you know of additional collections which could be included here? Do you know of extant copies of books from any of these libraries? Please contact Libraries of Early America coordinator Jeremy Dibbell.

Current members, alphabetically, with their major positions and main state of residence:

- John Adams (1735-1826): lawyer, diplomat, statesman, vice president, president (MA).

- John Askin (1739-1815): fur trader, local official (MI).

- John Baylor III (1705-1772): landowner, legislator (VA).

- William Buckland (1734-1774): architect, interior designer (VA, MD).

- Joseph Stevens Buckminster (1784-1812): minister, scholar, literary editor (MA).

- Dabney Carr (1743-1773): lawyer, legislator (VA).

- Hannah Lee Corbin (1728-1782): planter (VA).

- Jonathan Edwards (1701-1758): minister, theologian, educator (MA, NJ). Library in progress.

- Edwards Family (c. 1745 - c. 1800): ministers, educators, lawyers (MA, CT, NJ, NY). Descendants of Jonathan Edwards included here. Princeton collection added; other volumes sought.

- John Fitzpatrick (~1737-1791): merchant, planter, trader (LA).

- Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790): scientist, printer, diplomat, statesman (PA).

- Elbridge Gerry (1744-1814): diplomat, statesman, vice president (MA).

- Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804): lawyer, statesman, duelist (NY).

- Mary Hartford (c. 1792-1872): free African-American, house servant (MA).

- Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826): lawyer, diplomat, statesman, vice president, president (VA). Additional collections being added.

- John Jeffries (1745-1819): physician, balloonist (MA). Library in progress.

- Henry Lee (1691-1747): planter (VA).

- Squire Richard Lee (1726-1795): planter (VA).

- James Madison (1751-1836): lawyer, diplomat, president (VA). Library in progress.

- Mather Family Library (c. 1610-c. 1785): ministers, educators (MA).

- Lewis Morris (1726-1798): landowner, statesman (NY).

- James (1713-1781) and Mary Murray: merchants, loyalists (NC, MA).

- Cuthbert Ogle (d. 1755): musician (VA).

- Joseph Priestley (1733-1804): educator, theologian, philosopher, scientist (PA).

- Lady Jean Miller Skipwith (1748-1826): planter, gardener, book collector (VA).

- George Washington (1732-1799): military commander, statesman, president (VA).

- Sarah Willoughby (1639-1672): planter, gentlewoman (VA).

- John Witherspoon (1723-1794): minister, statesman, college president (NJ).

- John Worthington (1719-1800): lawyer, land speculator, legislator (MA).

- George Wythe (1726-1806): lawyer, educator, judge, statesman (VA).

- Pennsylvania General Assembly (c. 1745-1787)

- Providence Library Company/Athenaeum (1753-1758)

Most recent members: AlexanderHamiltonI, WilliamBuckland, JohnBaylorIII, JohnJeffries, SquireRichardLee, JohnFitzpatrick, HannahLeeCorbin, JamesMadisonLibrary, GeorgeWythe, GeorgeWashington, JohnWitherspoon, ProvidenceAthenaeum, SarahWilloughby, EdwardsFamily, JonathanEdwards, JohnWorthington, PaGeneralAssembly, JosephSBuckminster, JohnAskin, LewisMorris, CuthbertOgle, JamesandMaryMurray, MaryHartford, JeanSkipwith, HenryLee, BenjaminFranklin, MatherFamilyLibrary, DabneyCarr, JosephPriestley, ElbridgeGerry — 32 total

Created: Sep 28, 2008 by ThomasJefferson; Language: English