John McDonogh papers, 1789-1869 | Louisiana Research Collection
By Eira Tansey
Collection Overview
Title: John McDonogh papers, 1789-1869
Predominant Dates:1800-1850
ID: LaRC/Manuscripts Collection 30
Primary Creator: McDonogh, John, 1779-1850.
Extent: 18.0 Boxes. More info below.
Arrangement: The collection is arranged by topic, then chronologically, as follows: correspondence (Boxes 1-13), legal documents (Box 13 folders 20-27), slave sales (Box 13 folders 28-30), land documents (Box 14 folder 1-4), shipping records (Box 14 folders 7-14), finanical records (Boxes 15-17), and other papers (Box 17 folder 29). The collection consists of 18 boxes. It is 9 linear feet.
Subjects: African Americans -- Colonization -- Liberia., American Society for Colonizing the Free People of Colour of the United States., Florida -- History -- Cession to the United States, 1819., McDonogh, John, 1779-1850., McLean, Sarah Bella., Ohio Ladies Society for the Education of Colored People., Slave records., Slavery -- Louisiana -- History -- 19th century.
Forms of Material: Correspondence., Financial records.
Languages: English
Scope and Contents of the Materials
Biographical Note
John McDonogh (1779-1850) was a merchant, planter, and philanthropist from New Orleans and Baltimore of Scottish-Irish descent. McDonogh established a mercantile firm in New Orleans with William O. Payne as William Taylor's business agent, expanding the consignment business and trade to include Southern products, especially cotton. The depression of 1802 caused the McDonogh-Payne partnership to dissolve; McDonogh formed a new partnership with Shepherd Brown when the economy began to recover. McDonogh steadily acquired real estate throughout southern Louisiana so that, by the time of his death, he was considered one of the largest landowners.
In 1816 or 1817, McDonogh established his home on his plantation in Algiers. The Florida land claims controversy was a major trial for McDonogh, who had to have his titles to his Florida land confirmed by the United States government. McDonogh was also associated with the American Colonization Society. He sent many former slaves to Liberia and corresponded with them, although he was still a slave owner and an anti-abolitionist. Still, he gave his slaves the opportunity to purchase their freedom by working on their days set aside for rest in addition to access to an education and trade skills.
Upon his death, McDonogh left the bulk of his fortune to the cities of Baltimore and New Orleans for the purpose of building public schools for poor white and freed black children.
Subject/Index Terms
African Americans -- Colonization -- Liberia.
American Society for Colonizing the Free People of Colour of the United States.
Florida -- History -- Cession to the United States, 1819.
McDonogh, John, 1779-1850.
McLean, Sarah Bella.
Ohio Ladies Society for the Education of Colored People.
Slave records.
Slavery -- Louisiana -- History -- 19th century.
Administrative Information
Repository: Louisiana Research Collection
Alternate Extent Statement: 9 linear feet
Access Restrictions: Collection is open to the public. No known restrictions. A special listing of the letters of Andrew Durnford as well as Liberian Colonists can be found in the "Durnford letters" PDF under this collection's "online images" link.
Use Restrictions: Physical rights are retained by the Louisiana Research Collection. Copyright is retained in accordance with U.S. copyright laws.
Preferred Citation: John McDonogh papers, Manuscripts Collection 30, Louisiana Research Collection, Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118.
Finding Aid Revision History: Finding aid information entered in Archon by LAC Group in 2011. Revised by LAC Group 10/19/11.
Other Note:
For an inventory of Andrew Durnford's correspondence in the McDonogh collection, please click on the "online images" link for a PDF.
OCLC Number: 703226121
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Box:
[Box 1: Correspondence, 1801 January 14-1803 August 27],
[Box 2: Correspondence, 1803 September 2-1804 May 30],
[Box 3: Correspondence, 1804 June 2- 1805 July 20],
[Box 4: Correspondence, 1805 August 7-1811 December 31],
[Box 5: Correspondence, 1812 January 15-1815 September 27],
[Box 6: Correspondence, 1815 October 4-1820 December 19],
[Box 7: Correspondence, 1821 February 15-1829 December 29],
[Box 8: Correspondence, 1830 January 11-1833 December 28],
[Box 9: Correspondence, 1834 January 1-1836 December 30],
[Box 10: Correspondence, 1837 January 3-1841 December 21],
[Box 11: Correspondence, 1842 January 15-1844 December 29],
[Box 12: Correspondence, 1845 January 15-1850 August 31],
[Box 13: Non dated correspondence, legal documents, and slave sales],
[Box 14: Land documents and shipping records, 1802-1847 and undated; 1801-1843],
[Box 15: Bills, receipts and account statements, 1801-1828],
[Box 16: Bills, receipts and account statements, 1829-1869],
[Box 17: Promissory notes, checks and other papers, 1802-1848],
[Box 18: Additions],
[Volume 4: Financial records],
[Volume 5: Financial records],
[All]
- Box 14: Land documents and shipping records, 1802-1847 and undated; 1801-1843
This section of land documents includes land sales passed mostly in New Orleans and surrounding areas, as well as Baltimore. A majority of the land sales name John McDonogh or his firm as seller or purchaser of lots within the city of New Orleans or lands in neighboring parishes. Of special interest are the land sales in which John McDonogh sells Andrew Durnford, a free man of color, a tract of land in Plaquemines Parish (1829 July 22) and a tract of land situated 11 leagues below New Orleans on the right bank (1832 March 1). In addition, there are land sales in which John McDonogh sells: to Marie Rose Jusson, a free woman of color, land in the city of McDonogh (1830 February 22); to Municipality number 1, represented by Denis Prieur, Mayor of New Orleans, a certain lot of land between Hospital, Barracks, Condé, and Levee Streets (1837 April 17); and to George Urquhart, land in Plaquemines Parish (1847 March 27). This section also contains a few surveys of tracts of land, including a surveyor's certificate, establishing the boundaries of Don Bazile Creps' (Krebs) land on Lake Pontchartrain and the Tchefuncte River. (Copy: 1804 July 13: In Spanish).
The non dated material concerns mostly handwritten drafts or memorials and petitions from the Louisiana Legislature, John McDonogh, or other land claimants to the United States Congress relative to the Florida land controversy.
The shipping records include mostly invoices of cargo, cargo lists, bills of lading, receipts for merchandise. The invoices and the bills of lading reflect shipments from: Baltimore, the port of Maysville on the Ohio River, and Boston. The shipping papers also substantiate the business connection between William Taylor of Baltimore and his former apprentice, John McDonogh; many of the invoices and bills of lading record the cargo or sundry goods shipped by Taylor, cosigned to the firms: McDonogh and Payne, John McDonogh Jr. and Company, and Sheperd Brown and Company. Other business firms or individual merchants who shipped goods to the cosignees, John McDonogh Jr. and Company and Sheperd Brown and Company, include Forbes and Payne of New York, Wallace and Robertson of Natchez, John Cole of Baltimore, and James K. Whipple of Boston.
Of special interest is the document in which Beverly Chew, Collector of the Port of New Orleans, certifies the genuineness of an entry of foreign merchandise imported by John McDonogh Jr. and Company. The company imported from Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa, forty-eight slaves at the price of $4,800.
- Folder 1: Land documents, 1802 September 11-1810 August 16
- Folder 2: Land documents, 1812 January 25-1820 December 17
- Folder 3: Land documents, 1821 March 13-1830 August 19
- Folder 4: Land documents, 1831 February 24-1833 October 14
- Folder 5: Land documents, 1834 April 23-1847 March 27
- Folder 6: Land documents, undated
- Folder 7: Shipping records, 1801 September 19-December 31
- Folder 8: Shipping records, 1802 January 12-October 16
- Folder 9: Shipping records, 1803 March 28-December 27
- Folder 10: Shipping records, 1804 January 19-June 16
- Folder 11: Shipping records, 1804 July 11-December 27
- Folder 12: Shipping records, 1805 January 4-1806 October 6
- Folder 13: Shipping records, 1808 March 15-1837 September 9
- Folder 14: Shipping records, 1838 October 4-1843 May 23 and undated
- Folder 1: Land documents, 1802 September 11-1810 August 16
Browse by Box:
[Box 1: Correspondence, 1801 January 14-1803 August 27],
[Box 2: Correspondence, 1803 September 2-1804 May 30],
[Box 3: Correspondence, 1804 June 2- 1805 July 20],
[Box 4: Correspondence, 1805 August 7-1811 December 31],
[Box 5: Correspondence, 1812 January 15-1815 September 27],
[Box 6: Correspondence, 1815 October 4-1820 December 19],
[Box 7: Correspondence, 1821 February 15-1829 December 29],
[Box 8: Correspondence, 1830 January 11-1833 December 28],
[Box 9: Correspondence, 1834 January 1-1836 December 30],
[Box 10: Correspondence, 1837 January 3-1841 December 21],
[Box 11: Correspondence, 1842 January 15-1844 December 29],
[Box 12: Correspondence, 1845 January 15-1850 August 31],
[Box 13: Non dated correspondence, legal documents, and slave sales],
[Box 14: Land documents and shipping records, 1802-1847 and undated; 1801-1843],
[Box 15: Bills, receipts and account statements, 1801-1828],
[Box 16: Bills, receipts and account statements, 1829-1869],
[Box 17: Promissory notes, checks and other papers, 1802-1848],
[Box 18: Additions],
[Volume 4: Financial records],
[Volume 5: Financial records],
[All]
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