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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC04601.02 |
| From Archive Folder | Collection of 15 items related to the Mississippi territory, the Smith family, and the treason trial of Aaron Burr |
| Title | Calvin Smith to Jedediah Smith regarding the Mississippi territory, family matters and agriculture |
| Date | 11 December 1801 |
| Author | Smith, Calvin (1768-1840) |
| Recipient | Smith, Jedediah |
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Content Description | Begins by saying how happy he is to know Jedediah is alive. Tries to convince him to move to the Mississippi territory where the soil is so much more fertile than the stony ground of Massachusetts. Describes in detail all the advantages he would have if he moved. Gives him instructions and directions for the best way to make the journey. Talks about the mail for a bit. Mentions that the wife of Philander Smith, their brother, has died. Calvin informs that he and his wife have had a daughter. Discusses another brother named Luther who lives within the boundaries of Spanish territory and has nine slaves. Remarks that the crops were good notwithstanding the drought they experienced this year. States that this land is preferable to any in the Union. Gives regards to his family. |
| Subjects | Children and Family Immigration and Migration Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Travel Women's History Death Slavery Frontiers and Exploration African American History Global History and Civics Foreign Affairs Extreme Weather |
| People | Smith, Calvin (1768-1840) Smith, Jedediah (1752-1816) Smith, Luther (1770-1833) Smith, Luther (1770-1833) |
| Place written | Natchez, Mississippi |
| Theme | Children & Family; Agriculture; Women in American History; Slavery & Abolition; African Americans; Foreign Affairs |
| Sub-collection | The Gilder Lehrman Collection, 1493-1859 |
| Additional Information | Jedidiah Smith (1726/27-1776), a minister from Granville, Massachusetts, left New England in 1776 with 11of his children. They became one of the first settler families of colonial Natchez, Mississippi territory. A member of the Smith family, Philander Smith, served as foreman on the grand jury trying Aaron Burr. |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform: 1493-1859 |