Research Catalog

Details

Additional authors

1. Clinton, George, 1739-1812
2. Lansing, Abraham Gerrit, 1756-1834
3. Lansing, John, 1754-1829
4. Livingston, Robert, 1708-1790
5. Morris, Robert, 1734-1806
6. Smith, Melancton, 1744-1798
7. Yates, Christopher Peter, 1750-1815
8. Yates, Robert, 1738-1801

Description

1. 2.68 linear feet (7 boxes, 1 oversize folder, 1 volume).

Summary

1. Abraham Yates Jr. (1724-1796) of Albany, New York, was an American lawyer, politician, and political essayist of the Founding Era. He was an Anti-Federalist during the Confederation and Constitutional periods, known for his writings as "Rough Hewer" and "Sidney" in the New York press. Yates held many elected and appointed offices, notably Albany alderman (1753-1773), high sheriff of the city and county of Albany (1754-1759), chairman of the Albany Committee of Correspondence (1775- 1776), and member of the four New York Provincial Congresses and the State's first legislative convention (1775-1777), chairing the committee to write the State's constitution. He then served as New York State senator (1777-1790), Continental Loan Officer for New York (1779-1786), delegate to the Confederation Congress (1787-1788), and mayor of Albany (1790-1796). The Abraham Yates Jr. papers, 1688-1920s (bulk 1754-1795), chiefly span his professional and political activities in New York from 1754 until his death in 1796, reflecting his work as sheriff, lawyer, Revolutionary War patriot, public official, political essayist, and avocational historian. The papers comprise correspondence, documents, and printed matter, 1688-1825; a letter book kept while Continental Loan Officer, 1779-1782; journals, including a record of his time as sheriff during the French and Indian War, 1750s-1790s; drafts of his political and historical writings for publication, 1783-1796?; research materials serving his legal, political and historical endeavors, 1750s-1790s; and papers concerning the Manor of Rensselaerswyck, 1761- 1700s. Also present are early 20th-century typescript copies of materials in the collection.

Subject

1. Yates, Abraham, 1724-1796
2. New York (State)
3. United States
4. United States Continental Loan Office -- Correspondence
5. Constitutional history -- United States -- 18th century.
6. Education -- New York (State) -- Schenectady
7. Finance, public -- United States
8. Indians of North America -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775.
9. Real property -- New York (State)
10. Albany (N.Y.) -- History
11. Albany (N.Y.) -- Politics and government
12. New York (State) -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
13. New York (State) -- History -- French and Indian War, 1754-1763 -- Personal narratives
14. New York (State) -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783
15. New York (State) -- Politics and government -- 1775-1865.
16. New York (State) -- Politics and government -- To 1775
17. Rensselaerswyck (N.Y.) -- History
18. United States -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
19. United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783
20. United States -- History -- Confederation, 1783-1789
21. United States -- History -- Constitutional period, 1789-1809
22. United States -- Politics and government -- To 1775
23. United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1809

Genre/Form

1. Broadsides (notices).
2. Correspondence.
3. Diaries.
4. Financial records.
5. Indexes (reference sources).
6. Legal documents.
7. Letter books.
8. Local histories.
9. Manuscripts.
10. Property records.
11. Transcripts.

Call number

1. MssCol 3405

Access (note)

1. Apply to Manuscripts and Archives Division for access at http://www.nypl.org/mssref.
2. Surrogates must be used in lieu of originals.

Additional formats (note)

1. available as digital images.
2. Published in
3. Available on microfilm;

Funding (note)

1. Digitization was made possible by a lead gift from The Polonsky Foundation.

Source (note)

1. Donated by Victor Hugo Paltsits in 1919.

Language (note)

1. In English, Dutch, and Latin.

Provenance (note)

1. The papers were purchased by Abraham Lansing (1835-1899) and willed to his wife, Catherine Gansevoort Lansing (1838-1918), who deposited the collection with The New York Public Library in 1915. She bequeathed it to Victor Hugo Paltsits, the Library's Keeper of Manuscripts, who donated the collection to the library in 1919. The collection also contains purchases and donations made after the deposit date, notably donations by Howard Townsend in 1917.

Processing action (note)

1. Cataloged

Author

1. Yates, Abraham, 1724-1796.

Title

1. Abraham Yates, Jr. papers.

Production

1. 1688-1920s, bulk 1754-1795.

Type of content

1. text

Type of medium

1. unmediated

Type of carrier

1. sheet
2. volume

Restricted access

1. Apply to Manuscripts and Archives Division for access at http://www.nypl.org/mssref.
2. Surrogates must be used in lieu of originals.

Additional formats

1. Numbered correspondence, Series I: available as digital images.
2. Selected items, Series I: Published in The Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution, edited by John P. Kaminsky and others (Digital Edition, UVA Press; Print Edition, Wisconsin Historical Society Press, also via University of Wisconsin Digital Collections.)
3. Abraham Yates Jr. letterbook, 1779-1782: Available on microfilm; New York Public Library; *ZL-447

Funding

1. Digitization was made possible by a lead gift from The Polonsky Foundation.

Language

1. In English, Dutch, and Latin.

Note

1. Donated by Victor Hugo Paltsits in 1919.

Location of other archival materials

1. Materials Separated from the Resource: Transferred to the Rare Book Division: Wentworth, Thomas, 1568?-1628. The office and duty of executors..... London: Printed by John Streater, for Henry Twiford in Vine-Court, Middle Temple, 1663. From the library of Abraham Yates, Jr.

Provenance

1. The papers were purchased by Abraham Lansing (1835-1899) and willed to his wife, Catherine Gansevoort Lansing (1838-1918), who deposited the collection with The New York Public Library in 1915. She bequeathed it to Victor Hugo Paltsits, the Library's Keeper of Manuscripts, who donated the collection to the library in 1919. The collection also contains purchases and donations made after the deposit date, notably donations by Howard Townsend in 1917.

Connect to:

1. NYPL Digital Collections
2. Finding aid and digital images

Occupation

1. Essayists.
2. Lawyers.
3. Politicians.
4. Public officers.

Added author

1. Clinton, George, 1739-1812, correspondent.
2. Lansing, Abraham Gerrit, 1756-1834, correspondent.
3. Lansing, John, 1754-1829, correspondent.
4. Livingston, Robert, 1708-1790, correspondent.
5. Morris, Robert, 1734-1806, correspondent.
6. Smith, Melancton, 1744-1798, correspondent.
7. Yates, Christopher Peter, 1750-1815, correspondent.
8. Yates, Robert, 1738-1801, correspondent.

LCCN

1. ms 74000587

Research call number

1. MssCol 3405