"I am writing this letter before my death," wrote a young Jewish girl in a letter to her sister and brother in 1942. These last letters from the Holocaust can only be described as heart-wrenching. Letters written to parents and loved...

In this collection from the University of Virginia you can access a collection of letters written by Thomas Jefferson to his contemporaries.

A collection of writings by the famous British admiral who died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The writings give valuable details about British naval tactics during the Napoleonic Wars.

The complete text of the English edition of Thomas Paine's "The Rights of Man" in a series of links including an introductory letter to President Washington.

Learn about the Thomas Jefferson Papers, a collection of more than 27,000 original documents from the life of Thomas Jefferson. Includes a portrait, a timeline and an overview of the collection. Click on "browse by series" to view the...

A voice of dissent prior to the American Revolution, John Dickenson, a Philadelphia lawyer, was active in protesting British policies. His writings, entitled Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer, were published in newspapers in 1767 and 1768.

Letter describing William Burdette Smith's trip across the U.S. to San Francisco as a member of the 13th Minnesota Volunter Infantry during the Spanish-American War.

Letter written by Charles Reynolds describes his life as a member of a regiment serving in the occupation forces in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.

Excerpts of letters written by Catharine Parr Traill, which she collected and published, along with her journals, in The Backwoods of Canada (1836). In these excerpts, she writes about her arrival in Newfoundland and a journey to Quebec.

Series of letters written home during the Spanish-American War by Willian A. Reese, Jr. of the 11th U.S. Infantry.

The original text from the University of Chicago Press of a 1780 letter from Alexander Hamilton to James Duane, who later became a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, on the weaknesses of the existing U.S. government under the...

[Free Registration/Login Required] In this letter from January 2, 1864, Patrick R. Cleburne, a Confederate commander, writes to a Confederate general proposing that black soldiers be added to their ranks as they were in grave danger of...

Transcript of a brief letter, written by Poe to R. W. Griswold, in which Poe makes note of a revision to the last stanza of "Lenore."

In this letter, Cordelia writes to her friend about her plans to become a pioneer, a common ambition during the "Manifest Destiny" era of western settlement in the 19th century. This site offers links to paired texts, questions and...

Read a letter through which Chief Bowl of the Cherokees writes to Sam Houston, hoping to have a face-to-face meeting with him concerning Native American relations. Includes an image of the original letter as well as line-by-line...

Mirabeau Larmar's widow writes a letter replying to artist Henry McArdle, the painter of "The Battle of San Jacinto." Part of McArdle's extensive research for the painting. This site includes images of the handwritten letter, typed...

Mirabeau Lamar's daughter, Lola Lamar Calder, writes artist Henry McArdle, who did extensive research on Lamar, as well as others, before painting his "The Battle of San Jacinto." This site includes images of the original letter, typed...

Some of Thomas Paine's essays on religion can be found at this site.

Mirabeau Lamar's wife, Henrietta, writes about her late husband in a letter to Henry McArdle, the artist behind "The Battle of San Jacinto." Handwritten letter is accompanied by typed transcription for easier reading and is part of...