http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.ms010271 Elisha Hunt Allen Papers A Finding Aid to the Collection in the Library of Congress Prepared by Manuscript Division Staff Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
2010

Catalog Record: http://lccn.loc.gov/mm73010447

Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress Manuscript Division, 2010 Finding aid written in English. Collection Summary Elisha Hunt Allen Papers 1849-1934 (bulk 1867-1882) MSS10447 Allen, Elisha Hunt, 1804-1883 2,000 items 6 containers plus 1 oversize 3 linear feet Collection material in English Manuscript Division Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
Diplomat, jurist, lawyer, and United States representative from Maine. Correspondence, speeches and writings, notes, photographs, printed matter, and miscellaneous material largely concerning Hawaiian economic and political conditions, sugar plantations and trade, Chinese labor, the Hawaiian supreme court, of which Allen was chief justice, and the United States-Hawaiian Reciprocity Treaty of 1876. Selected Search Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically therein.

 People Allen, Elisha Hunt, 1804-1883. Allen, Mary Hobbs--Correspondence. Bishop, Charles Reed, 1822-1915--Correspondence. Green, W. L.--Correspondence. Harris, Charles Coffin, 1822-1881--Correspondence. Kalakaua, David, King of Hawaii, 1836-1891. Severance, Henry W.--Correspondence. Welch, Andrew, active 1876-82--Correspondence. Organizations Hawaii. Supreme Court. Subjects Chinese--Hawaii. Courts--Hawaii. Plantations--Hawaii. Reciprocity (Commerce) Sugar trade--Hawaii. Working class--Hawaii. Places Hawaii--Economic conditions. Hawaii--Foreign relations--United States. Hawaii--Politics and government--To 1893. Maine--Politics and government. United States--Foreign relations--Hawaii. United States--Foreign relations--Treaties. Occupations Diplomats. Jurists. Lawyers. Representatives, U.S. Congress--Maine. Administrative Information Provenance

The papers of Elisha Hunt Allen, diplomat, jurist, lawyer, and United States representative from Maine, were given to the Library of Congress by Mary Jane Allen and Frederick Allen in 1935.

 Processing History

The papers of Elisha Hunt Allen were arranged and described in 1963. The finding aid was revised in 2010.

 Copyright Status

The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Elisha Hunt Allen is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).

 Access and Restrictions

The papers of Elisha Hunt Allen are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.

 Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container number, Elisha Hunt Allen Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Biographical Note Date Event 1804, Jan. 28 Born, New Salem, Mass. 1823 Graduated Williams College, Williamstown, Mass. 1826 Admitted to Massachusetts bar 1828 Married Sarah Elizabeth Fessenden (died 1845) 1835-1840 Member, Maine House of Representatives 1841-1843 Member, United States House of Representatives from Maine 1849 Member, Massachusetts House of Representatives 1850-1853 United States consul to Hawaii 1853-1857 Minister of finance, Kingdom of Hawaii 1857 Married Mary Harrod Hobbs 1857-1877 Chancellor and Chief Justice of the Kingdom of Hawaii Supreme Court 1876 Negotiated the United States-Hawaii Reciprocity Treaty 1876-1883 United States minister to Hawaii 1883, Jan. 1 Died, Washington, D.C. Scope and Content Note

The papers of Elisha Hunt Allen (1804-1883) span the years 1849-1934, with the bulk of the material dating from 1867 to 1882. The papers consist of correspondence, speeches and writings, notes, awards and diplomas, invitations, passports, photographs, statistical tables, printed matter, and miscellaneous items and are organized into the following series: Family Correspondence, General Correspondence, Hawaiian Legation Correspondence, Subject File, Miscellany, and Oversize.

The Family Correspondence contains letters from Allen to his second wife, Mary Hobbs Allen, and a few letters to other members of the Allen family. Correspondents in the General Correspondence include Charles Reed Bishop, W. L. Green, Charles Coffin Harris, Henry W. Severance, and Andrew Welch. The Hawaiian Legation Correspondence contains drafts and a letterbook of official letters sent from the Hawaiian Legation. Subjects of interest covered in the several correspondence series as well as in the Subject File and Miscellany include the United States-Hawaiian Reciprocity Treaty of 1876, the Hawaiian supreme court, sugar plantations and trade, Chinese labor, and Hawaiian economic and political conditions from 1850 to 1882.

 Arrangement of the Papers

This collection is arranged in six series:

Family Correspondence, 1849-1934 General Correspondence, 1857-1882 Hawaiian Legation Correspondence, 1877-1883 Subject File, 1853-1882 Miscellany, 1867-1883 Oversize, 1867-1880 http://lccn.loc.gov/mm73010447 Container List Container Contents 1-2 Family Correspondence, 1849-1934

Letters from Allen to family members including his second wife, Mary Hobbs Allen.

Arranged alphabetically by name of family member.

 1 Allen, Elisha H., Jr., 1877-1882 1 Allen, Mary Hobbs 1 1849-1871 (7 folders) 2 1872-1880 (6 folders) 2 Allen, William F., 1867-1882 2 Miscellaneous, 1861-1934 3-4 General Correspondence, 1857-1882

Correspondence and miscellaneous items.

Arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent.

 3 Bishop, Charles Reed., 1869-1880 3 Carter, H. A . P., 1875-1882 3 Cheng Tsao Ju, 1882 3 Frelinghuysen, Frederick T., 1882 3 Gibson, Walter Murray, 1879-1882 3 Green, W. L., 1874-1881 3 Harris, Charles Coffin, 1857-1881 3 Hitt, Robert R., 1881 3 Kalakaua, David, King of Hawaii, 1876-1882 3 Severance, Henry W., 1878-1882 3 Smith, J. Mott, 1869-1882 4 Welch, Andrew, 1875-1882 4 Miscellaneous, A-Y, 1867-1882 4 Hawaiian Legation Correspondence, 1877-1883

Letters sent and received and letterbook.

Arranged by type of material.

 4 Letters received on death of Allen, 1883 4 Letters sent, drafts, 1877-1882 4 Letterbook, 1877-1879 5 Subject File, 1853-1882

Treaties, trade records, and miscellaneous items.

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

 5 Trade, 1857-1882 5 Treaties, miscellaneous, 1853-1880 5 Treaty, U.S.-Hawaii, 1855-1882 6 Miscellany, 1867-1883

Invitations, passports, photographs, speeches and writings, statistical tables, and printed matter.

Arranged by type of material.

 6 Biographical material 6 Commissions, statistical tables, and letters of credence, 1867, 1874-1880 See Oversize 6 Invitations 6 Obituaries, 1883 6 Passports 6 Photographs 6 Speeches and other writings 6 Miscellaneous 6 Printed matter 6 Allen family 6 Hawaii 6 Portrait of Allen 6 Hawaiian royal family 6 Miscellaneous OV 1 Oversize, 1867-1880

Commissions, statistical tables, and letters of credence

Arranged and described according to the series, containers, and folders from which the items were removed.

 OV 1 Miscellany OV 1 Commissions, statistical tables, and letters of credence, 1867, 1874-1880 (Container 6)