Letters and Papers of Charles Grandison Finney

Charles Finney was one of the most famous and influential ministers of the nineteenth century. He enjoyed a long career as a revivalist, author, educator, and college president. An extensive collection of Finney’s personal papers and correspondence can be found at the Oberlin College Archives (RG 2/002) and on microfilm. For a detailed calendar and index of the Finney Papers, click here.

Source: J. Geraldine Hopkins Hubbard et al., Letters and Papers of Charles Grandison Finney (1792-1875) in the Oberlin College Library: A Calendar and Index (Oberlin, OH: 1939)

The Papers of Emma Hart Willard

Emma Willard was a pioneering educator, author, and women’s rights activist. In 1821, she established the Troy Female Seminary in Troy, NY (now the Emma Willard School). It was the first higher education institution for women in the United States. The following are unpublished student correspondence and dairies from the Troy Female Seminary, written between 1820 and 1871.

For part one, click here.

For part two, click here.

Source: Lucy F. Townsend and Barbara Wiley (eds.), The Papers of Emma Hart Willard, 1787-1870 (microfilm)

Union Missionary Herald

The Union Missionary Herald was the first official organ of the Union Missionary Society (UMS). Established by a coalition of abolitionists in the wake of the Amistad slave revolt, the UMS was a direct precursor to the American Missionary Association.

Issues for January 1842 through August 1842 are available here.

Source: Special Collections, Yale Divinity School Library (New Haven, CT)

American Missionary Association Annual Reports

Arguably the largest and most influential abolitionist organization of the nineteenth century, the American Missionary Association (AMA) issued annual reports on its achievements and activities for over a century. Although best known for its educational work among former slaves during Reconstruction, the AMA supported similar efforts among Chinese immigrants, Native Americans, and impoverished whites. It also operated foreign missions in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands.

Reports for 1847 through 1869 are available here.

Reports for 1870 through 1891 are available here.

Reports for 1892 through 1910 are available here.

Source: Amistad Research Center Microfilm Project (New Orleans, LA)

Sherbro and English Book

Like the Mende Vocabulary featured here last week, this book was published at the Mendi Mission on Sherbro Island in what is now Sierra Leone. The primary author, John White, lived in North Woodstock, Connecticut. Published in 1862, it is one of the earliest dictionaries of the Sherbro language and the most comprehensive to appear in the nineteenth century. The only extant copy, as of this writing, is now available here.

Source: Special Collections, Yale Divinity School Library (New Haven, CT)