![[Transcriptions]: A Clerk’s Harrowing Account of the 1880 U.S. Election, Madison County, Florida](https://clements.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/20241030_162448-1080x675.jpg)
by Cheney Schopieray | Nov 4, 2024 | Collections, Library Work, Manuscripts
Read a letter written by John P. Varnum, a 26-year-old who tried to establish a political and legal career in Florida in the 1870s. During the 1880 U.S. election, Varnum collected and counted ballots in Madison County, Florida. In this harrowing letter to his wife Josephine, Varnum described crowds of African American men protecting him against violence, and coordinated efforts to suppress Black votes through deception, fraudulent voting, and attempted murder. He wrote about calls for recounts and ballots printed on different types of paper to allow blindfolded men to favor one party over the other for discarding.
by Sam Huck | Oct 31, 2024 | Library Work
Did you know that Theresa, one of our reading room supervisors, can say the alphabet forwards and backward in under 6 seconds? We didn’t either! Hailing from multiple colleges at UM and studying a variety of majors, all bring unique talents to the Clements. Read on to learn more about them and the work they do at the Clements.
by Clements Library | Oct 18, 2024 | Collections, Graphics, Library Work
Remember those attendance awards in elementary school? Recognition of student achievement is nothing new. Graduate student assistant Annika Dekker writes about Rewards of Merit, awards given to students or young people to recognize and congratulate them on an achievement, usually academic. These awards started in the 1600s, and have continued today. Learn more about the Rewards of Merit housed here at the Clements Library!
by Clements Library | Oct 8, 2024 | Acquisitions, Collections, Library Work, Manuscripts, News
Explore these 25 new finding aids published in the summer of 2024. The collection continues to grow in exciting ways, ranging from a visually rich archive of an inventor advertising and selling his wares to the case notes kept by a woman advocating for the care of children in Washington, D.C. Should anything prove relevant to your interests, don’t hesitate to plan a research visit or contact us to learn more.
by Clements Library | Sep 5, 2024 | Acquisitions, Collections, Library Work, Manuscripts, News
The William L. Clements Library’s collections continue to grow, helping researchers and students study the rich and diverse American past. The collections described below touch on a wide range of topics, including spiritualism, crime, children and education, business, military and international affairs, and book trades and print culture. This includes the diary of Achsa W. Sprague, Etna Bittenbender’s case statements, and various drawings and penmanship books from the 1800s. Read more to see what catches your interest!
by Clements Library | Aug 27, 2024 | Acquisitions, Collections, Library Work, Manuscripts, News
The Manuscripts Division of the William L. Clements Library is pleased to announce 27 new or substantially revised finding aids. With topics ranging from spiritualism to women’s service in World War II, these finding aids are a small reflection of the great depth of the holdings at the Clements that can support research and learning. This batch includes the papers of spiritualist James V. Mansfield, the Samuel and William Vernon Collection, and the J.B. Cooke Collection.
by Clements Library | May 1, 2024 | Featured, Library Work, Manuscripts, News
Aleksandra Kole is graduating from LSA with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science minoring in Moral and Political Philosophy. She has also been actively involved in LSA Student Government serving this past year as Treasurer. How did you find the internship...
by Tiffani Ihrke | Jan 24, 2024 | Featured, Graphics, Library Work, Maps, News
In January 2024, Sierra Laddusaw joined the University of Michigan community as the Curator for Maps and Graphics at the Clements Library. Sierra comes to Michigan from University of Arkansas – Fort Smith where she was the Scholarly Communication Librarian....
by Clements Library | Jun 22, 2023 | Acquisitions, Collections, Library Work, Manuscripts, News
Collections of manuscripts continue to be added to the Clements Library’s holdings to benefit the learning and research of our community of users. The most recent batch of new finding aids includes several thematic groupings, underscoring how archival collections...
