Clarence Walworth Alvord

Like the book Cahokia Records, 1778-1790, this volume is from the series “Collections of the Illinois State Historical Library”. This book follows a different plan from that one, however. This has only a very brief introductory chapter, and the remainder of the book consists of chapters on fairly specific topics, telling the stories of those topics through the use of documents. All documents that were originally in French appear in the original, followed by English translations.

Clarence Alvord (1868-1928) was a history professor at the University of Illinois. This book opens with a 75-page chapter entitled “The Discovery of the Ohio Waters” by Professor Alvord. The remaining chapters, listed below, all contain transcriptions of documents from the subject time-period. -Encouragement from the Assembly -The Discovery of New Brittaine -The Discoveries of John Lederer -Governor Berkelely as a Promoter of Exploration -The Expedition of Batts and Fallam -The Journeys of Needham and Arthur -Coxe’s Account of the Activities of the English in the Mississippi Valley in the Seventeenth Century -Bibliography

Professor Clarence Walworth Alvord (1868 – 1928) spent his career immersed in Illinois history. The writing of this centennial history of Illinois was sponsored by the Illinois State Historical Library and the University of Illinois.

This is the second of three volumes of collected historical documents in a series on the era of the British regime in Illinois country. Note that any French documents in the collection are translated.

This is the first of three volumes of collected historical documents in a series on the era of the British regime in Illinois country. Note that any French documents in the collection are translated.

Professor Alvord of the University of Illinois here presents a thesis that the origins of the Revolutionary War lie in the northwest as much as in Massachusetts. “… let me … boldly assert that whenever the British ministers soberly and seriously discussed the American problem, the vital phase to them was not the disturbances of the “madding crowd” of Boston and New York but the development of that vast trans-montane region that was acquired in 1763 by the Treaty of Paris”. This is not a history of the American northwest, but rather a history of British politics and policy toward America. Chapter headings are: -Government by Factions -The Treaty of Peace, 1763 -The Beginning of Western Speculation -The Earlier Western Colonial Policy of Great Britain -The Choice of the Man -The Formation of the Policy -Proclamation of October 7, 1763 -The Organization of the Indian Department -The Plans of the Old Whigs -The Chatham Ministry -Indian Management and Western Trade -Lord Shelburne’s Western Policy

In this address Professor Alvord announced to the Chicago Historical Society that the long-lost 18th century records of Kaskaskia had been found. Kaskaskia was founded in 1700 by French Jesuit missionaries. There was little orderly government until the erection of Fort de Chartres in 1723. From that date French civil officials at the fort kept minutes and records, and from 1737 a French court in the village also was active. In this address Alvord describes the history of Kaskaskia, the history of its archived government records, and the story of their discovery. To read some of the records, see Alvord’s volume, Kaskaskia Records 1778-1790.

This volume consists of two parts: Part 1: Washburne, E. B. “Sketch of Edward Coles, Second Governor of Illinois, and of the Slavery Struggle of 1823-4″, pp 15-201. Edward Coles was a Virginia slave-owner and the private secretary to President Madison in 1814 when he began a correspondence with Thomas Jefferson on the subject of slavery. Coles decided to resign his position, sell his plantation, leave Virginia, and then liberate his slaves. He moved to Illinois in 1819 with his slaves and liberated them there. After becoming governor in 1822, his efforts were critical in preventing Illinois from legalizing slavery in the state constitution. Part 2: Appendix. pp 205-398. This is a collection of transcribed documents and letters; many of them related to personal business or legal actions involving Coles, but also including some official documents from his governorship. The last document in this section, pp 376-398, is Coles’ “History of the Ordinance of 1787″.

This is the third of three volumes of collected historical documents in a series on the era of the British regime in Illinois country. Note that any French documents in the collection are translated.