Tag: Territorial Period

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Artifacts

Andrew Marschalk’s Uniform Coat

Nan Prince, assistant director of collections, brings us this post about interesting artifacts in the Museum Division collection.

Andrew Marschalk's uniform coat. Accession number: 1992.14.1 (Museum Division collection, MDAH)
Andrew Marschalk’s uniform coat. Accession number: 1992.14.1 (Museum Division collection, MDAH)

This Mississippi Territorial Militia uniform coat was worn by Andrew Marschalk, who was a newspaper publisher in Natchez. Marschalk was a major in the Mississippi Territorial Militia from 1809 to 1811 and became a colonel in 1811. The uniform was handed down through his family and donated to the Department of Archives and History in 1992, by his great-great-great-grandson.

Reverse of Andrew Marschalk's uniform coat. Accession number: 1992.14.1 (Museum Division collection, MDAH)
Reverse of Andrew Marschalk’s uniform coat. Accession number: 1992.14.1 (Museum Division collection, MDAH)

In preparation for its display in the new Museum of Mississippi History, this jacket was recently conserved.

Andrew Marschalk, Hall of Fame portrait. Accession number: 1978.10.1 (Museum Division collection, MDAH)
Andrew Marschalk, Hall of Fame portrait. Accession number: 1978.10.1 (Museum Division collection, MDAH)

Marschalk is a member of the Mississippi Hall of Fame and his portrait, pictured above, is currently on display in the Old Capitol Museum.

Categories
Digital Archives Government Records

Now Online: Territorial Era Census Records

Franklin County, 1810, page 4 (cropped). Call number: Series 486 (MDAH)
Franklin County, 1810, page 4 (cropped). Call number: Series 486 (MDAH)

Series 486 – Censuses, 1801-1816 consists of population censuses and census abstracts taken of counties in the Mississippi Territory. Generally, the census lists heads of families by name with members of the household cited by age, race (and if black, whether slave or free), and gender. Abstracts of censuses give totals only for age, race and gender.

The records also include an 1809 abstract for manufacturing establishments and products. There is a cover letter from W. E. Boyd that accompanied an unidentified census and an 1810 circular with instructions for taking the census.

Categories
Digital Archives Government Records Paper Archives

Now Online: Series 499, Alien Enemies Documents (War of 1812)

Circular, Jas. Monroe to secretary of Mississippi Territory. Call Number: Series 499, doc number 5 (MDAH)
Circular, Jas. Monroe to secretary of Mississippi Territory. Call Number: Series 499, doc number 5 (MDAH)

Series 499: Alien Enemies Documents (War of 1812), 1812-1815, contains documents relating to the monitoring of British subjects in the Mississippi Territory during the period when the U.S. was engaged in the War of 1812. A circular dated July 11, 1812, and signed by U.S. Secretary of State James Monroe declared that “all subjects of His Britannic Majesty, residing within the United States, have become alien enemies…” (See document # 5 above). As such, British subjects were compelled by law to report to their respective territorial secretaries, who in turn reported to the U.S. Department of State. The following information was required in the reporting process: age, length of time in the U.S., family description, place of residence, occupation, and whether or not application for naturalization had been made.

The documents include copies of the pertinent acts and instructions transmitted to and throughout the territories, individual reports of British subjects (many of which include place of birth – Great Britain, Ireland, and Scotland), and returns of county officials reporting in summary to the territorial secretary. Also included are a number of related documents such as accompanying cover letters and communications with the U.S. Secretary of State.

Categories
Digital Archives Government Records Paper Archives

Administration Papers of Mississippi Territory (Series 488) Online

Letter, Governor Holmes, Washington, to Colonel McGahy, asking the result of his conversation with Major Gerald. Call number: Series 488, doc number 2562 (MDAH)
Letter, Governor Holmes, Washington, to Colonel McGahy, asking the result of his conversation with Major Gerald. Call number: Series 488, doc number 2562 (MDAH)

Now available online, Series 488: Administration Papers are loose documents related to all aspects of the administration of the Mississippi Territory (1798-1817). The series has been referred to as the correspondence of the territorial governors, including Winthrop Sargent, William C. C. Claiborne, Robert Williams, and David Holmes, but the scope is larger. The papers pertain to the workings of the territorial government (i.e., the duties of the governor, the legislature, the military, and the courts, as well as early county governments and individuals’ affairs), and touch upon most of the important themes in the government: Indian relations and lands, adjacent U.S. territories (particularly Louisiana), allegiance to the United States and duty to its service, and safe travel and trade for citizens.

Click here to browse the collection and learn more.

Categories
Digital Archives Maps

Historic Map Inventory Online

Louisiana with part of Western Florida, Georgia and Southern Carolina, 1778. Call Number: MA/94.0003(b) MDAH Collection
Louisiana with part of Western Florida, Georgia and Southern Carolina, 1778. Call Number: MA/94.0003(b) MDAH Collection

This great new resource is now available to researchers looking for specific historic maps or specific features of maps. It includes MDAH maps as well as those in other repositories, such as the Library of Congress, the National Archives and Records Administration, and various universities and libraries. The maps have been described with fifteen different categories (such as title, situation date, and geographic coverage). Over 850 maps have already been added to the database with more to come. The database also includes links to digital images where they exist.

Click here to visit the Inventory of Historic Maps of Mississippi.