John McDonogh papers, 1789-1869 | Louisiana Research Collection

By Eira Tansey

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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

John McDonogh, merchant, planter, slaveholder, and philanthropist of New Orleans and Baltimore,was of Scotch-Irish descent. His family eventually relocated to Baltimore where John was born on December 29, 1779. The collection consists primarily of correspondence, slave sales, legal documents, land documents, bills, receipts, shipping records, account statements, promissory notes, checks, and other papers of John McDonogh. The bulk of the collection dates from 1800 to 1850 and consists mainly of correspondence dealing with commercial and business matters.The letters also concern personal and family matters, the Florida land claims controversy and McDonogh's role as a claimant, the American Colonization Society, and McDonogh's plan for the emancipation of slaves and the recoloniziation of Liberia. Separate listings of letters to McDonogh to and from the Liberian colonists are also included. A frequent correspondent is abolitionist Sara Bella McLean, President of the Ohio Ladies Society for the Education of Colored People.

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]

Volume 4: Financial records

Tulane University Special Collections