Special Notes About this Grouping

The Clinton Papers are an incredible resource to study military thinking in action. Volume 85 includes two versions of a document relating to the capture of enslaved people and provisions from plantations. Reading which phrases were crossed out and what language was ultimately used, scholars get a close look at how top military figures were making decisions on the ground. In the same volume, a group of war widows petition the British for support, calling our attention to how the collection tells many stories at once—from leaders developing their strategies to everyday people who felt the impact of the war.

The Henry Clinton Papers need your help. Sir Henry Clinton served under Thomas Gage and William Howe between 1775 and 1778, and was commander-in-chief of the British forces in North America from 1778 to 1782. His extensive papers offer an unparalleled view of the day-to-day operations of the British Empire in North America during the height of the Revolutionary War.

The Henry Clinton Papers are currently housed in custom boxes and folders made for the collection in the mid 20th century. Each individual manuscript is tipped onto larger, acidic heavy stock paper and enclosed in its own acidic folder. In order to digitize the collection and assure the long-term safety of the Henry Clinton Papers, the Clements Library will be undertaking a massive re-housing project.