1841-1845 - An archive of correspondence between an exceptionally wealthy Massachusetts bootmaker-politician and his son regarding life as a student at Philips Exeter Academy and chronicling the devastating seven-year depression that followed The Panic of 1837

Nathaniel and Georg White

Published by Quincy, Massachusetts and Exeter, New Hampshire, 1845

About this Item

This archive consists of nine stampless folded letters between Nathaniel White at Quincy, Massachusetts, and his son, George, who attended Philips Exeter Academy and later Yale. The letters were written between 1841 and 1845; eight were written by Nathaniel and one by George. The letters bear a variety of manuscript and handstamped postal markings. In nice shape. Transcripts provided. The archive also contains two anti-Democrat "Hard Times" tokens, ridiculing Presidents Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren whose fiscal policies caused the American economy to crash and enter a depression as least as deep and catastrophic as that of the 1930s. Nathaniel White was a prominent and extremely wealthy Democratic politician who had amassed a "fortune" in the shoemaking industry after it changed from a piece-work process into to a central shop system that allowed for much greater production. In the letters, without mentioning Jackson or Van Buren, Nathaniel (a staunch Democrat) describes the collapse of his shoemaking business, continued funding of George's education, his opposition to the Cold Water Party (a temperance faction of the Democrats associated with the Know-Nothings, and the mid-term election of 1842 which turned out the Quincy Democrats replacing them with Whigs. A few excerpts include: 12 July 1841 - "I have sold about 2000 pr of the Brogans (that is rather slow,) . . . well I am in hopes that the Boot trade will be full middling this next fall. . . If you are in want of any money to pay your Board, or other neccessarys you will just write say when you want it. . . ." 30 July 1841 - "You ought not give your self any uneasiness on my account for I should not of undertaken [your enrollment at Exeter] had I not ment to go with you in all things necessary for your progression. . . A. Wood &c has cum in & ordered 60 cases of Boots of different kinds and I must attend to my Business. . . If I do not cum up you will hear from me in season to pay your board. . . 5 November 1841 - (From George) "We are examined by the Teachers at the close of the 1 & 2 terms, and by the Trustees at the close of the 3d term. . . Those who have not ambition enough to go ahead with their studies are those who have parts in the exhibition at the end of the. . . Without your sustaining arm in pecuniary affairs my desires for a liberal education would come to naught. . . My board will amount to $38. . .I dont know about my wood but I think it will be about $5, and lights $1.25 and there are several books that is necessary that I should have one is Webster's Dictionary came to about $3.50 and Anthon's Classical Dictionary . . . costs about $5. and I shall have to purchase several Greek books. . . 17 February 1842 - From Nathaniel: "I made a good years work last year nominally but how it will prove before I get my pay I know not, but think I shall loose 8 or 10 hundred dollers and the old debts I think much of it will go by the Bankrupt Law. . . I can calculate rather over $3,000 loss in all . . . when I get rid of the old debts . . . I shall feel more comfortable. . . 6 November 1842 - From Nathaniel: "Mr Gregory [the Universalist minister and leader of the Cold Water Party] has undertaken to drive every body to act & do as he does . . . and that makes a great deal of trouble. . . At any rate . . . He will be arrested . . . for haveing 2 wifes and I do not see any thing to save him from the states prison. . . My business it is not worth having. . . I am [now] dismissing my thick shoe makers for I have no orders nor do I expect to have any and I have amost all my shoes on hand that I had made, several thousand pr at any rate, I have sold about 2200 pr of boots but sold low for the sake of selling. . . Our election cums of now in about a weak. . . There is so many parties I cannot give any gess how it will go in Quincy, about all they talk about is Gregory [who] I am afrade will throw us off the track. . . I wish for you to keep along as tho you were sure o. Seller Inventory # 009960

Bibliographic Details

Title: 1841-1845 - An archive of correspondence ...

Publisher: Quincy, Massachusetts and Exeter, New Hampshire

Publication Date: 1845

Binding: Envelope or Cover

Condition: Very good