Article

Research Guide to Black History in the Longfellow Archives

Two young children stand on a dirt road by a wood fence.
"Southern Trip" [-- Children Standing in Front of Fence.], circa 1903
This photograph was taken in the early 1900s, possibly when Anne Allegra Longfellow Thorp and her husband Joseph Gilbert Thorp Jr. went on railroad trips to educational institutions in Richmond, VA, Birmingham, AL, and Columbia, SC in 1903, 1904, and 1905 respectively. These tours were planned by Robert C. Ogden of the Southern Educational Conference.

Courtesy of National Park Service, Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site; Archives Number 1006/4.2.10#3a.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) Family Papers, 1768-1975 (bulk dates 1825-1950)

Drawing of a face of a person in profile within a yellow star. Word below star say National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.
Network to Freedom Facilities are archives, libraries, and research centers with material that highlights Underground Railroad stories and meets standards of accuracy, professionalism, and accessibility.

National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program, National Park Service.

Introduction


Black history is interwoven with the story of 105 Brattle Street. Since its construction, this house and its inhabitants have been shaped by slavery and influenced by the fight for Black civil rights. In 2006, the Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site became a member of the National Park Service National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom due to the site’s collections related to freedom seekers in the 1800s.

In this research guide, you will find detailed lists of the holdings in the site’s archives and special collections that are connected to Black history, as well as complementary resources from the National Park Service and other locations. These lists are extensive but not necessarily complete. There are always new treasures to be found in the collections!

To schedule an appointment to see these items in person, please visit our guide to research at Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site.


Resources at Longfellow - Washington's Headquarters NHS

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Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site has substantial manuscript and photograph collections that reflect American history through the eyes of multiple generations of prominent northern white families, primarily the Longfellows, Appletons, Danas, and Wadsworths. These collections link to slavery, the Fugitive Slave Law and Civil War, education for Black children in the South, and other subjects.


To schedule an appointment to see something in person, please visit our guide to research at Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site.

Slavery

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The original owners of the mansion, the Vassalls, amassed their fortune through the labor of enslaved people on their plantations in the West Indies. When several Vassalls moved to Cambridge in the mid-1700s, they transported men and women they enslaved to serve them in their new homes. Probate and other records from this period indicate that Anthony (Tony) and Cuba were two of the people enslaved in the home of Henry Vassall and Penelope (Royall) Vassall at 94 Brattle Street. There, Tony and Cuba lived, labored, and had children together until they were forcibly separated. Penelope Vassall sold a very pregnant Cuba to her nephew John Vassall Jr., then the owner of 105 Brattle Street. After separation, Tony and Cuba continued their relationship and eventually had about six children together in total. In 1774 the Vassalls and other area Loyalists evacuated their Cambridge homes on the eve of the American Revolution and left the people they enslaved behind. It was after this that Tony, Cuba, and many of their children were finally able to seize their freedom, joining their two young children, Darby and Flora, who were already free.

The collections we have related to the Vassalls are very limited, and the resources at the house that are related to slavery come with bias from the white, wealthy, northern men and women that created and collected them. We have two items specifically related to slavery in the South. The rest of this section of the research guide will be dedicated to items from the North.

  • Postcard – Pine alley planted by slave labor in 1829, St. Martinville, Louisiana
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Papers, 1744-1972 (bulk dates 1850-1950), LONG 17314 (1002/011.002)
  • “Manifest of Negroes, Mulattoes and persons of Colour, taken on board the Ship Alexandria,” 1836
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) Family Papers, 1768-1975 (bulk dates 1825-1950), LONG 27930 (1006/001.001.013)
    • A digital facsimile of this manifest is available on the Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters NHS website.
    • This ship's manifest, dated 29 October 1836, lists “Two Slaves," Sally Johnson age 39, and Sophy Johnson age 17, along with the name of the man transporting them, Henry Harding. The document indicates that the women are being taken from the “Port of Alexandria in the District of Alexandria for the purpose of being sold or disposed of as Slaves, or to be held to service or labour."
    • Written on the other side of the document is a statement that Mr. Harding does "solemnly, sincerely and truly swear ... that the negroes herein setforth, have not been imported into the United States, since the first day of January one thousand eight hundred and eight." Importation of enslaved people into the United States was legally banned after 1807, although the sale and trade of human beings was still legal. Both legal and illegal trade of enslaved people continued in the United States until sometime after the Civil War.
    • We do not know when or why this document came to be in the site’s collection.
Court document
The court document summoning Richard Lechmere to court to answer for the enslavement of a Cambridge man named James. Click on the image to get more information about the summons.

Professional Legal Records, Francis Dana Personal Papers, in the Dana Family Papers, LONG 27037

Slavery in the North

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The majority of the items at the site that are associated with slavery were created in the North and reflect perceptions of slavery held by wealthy white northerners. The following list contains documents created or collected by the Longfellows, Appletons, and Danas. At the end, it includes notes and receipts related to a doll that was created to depict one of the people that had been enslaved at 105 Brattle Street.

  • Menu – “Diner du 20 Janvier [January],” [n.y.] [French]
    Dana Family Papers: Collected Manuscripts, Genealogies, and Research Material, 1661-1972 (bulk dates 1750-1940), LONG 27037 (3004.001.002/005.020)
    • Marginal note by Richard Henry Dana Jr on Dinner Menu "[1624] (4 years after 1st slave ship to U.S.)"
  • Summons – James v. Richard Lechmere, 1769
    Dana Family Papers: Collected Manuscripts, Genealogies, and Research Material, 1661-1972 (bulk dates 1750-1940), LONG 27037 (3004.001.002/005.008)
    • A digital facsimile of this summons is available on the Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters NHS website.
    • This document is a summons issued to Richard Lechmere of Cambridge to appear before the court and answer to charges that he unlawfully imprisoned and restrained "James a Negro man of Cambridge."
    • James brought this suit against his enslaver. Francis Dana served as counsel to James in the case, hoping to establish that there was no basis for slavery under English law. The Inferior Court ruled in favor of Lechmere, however, the case was advanced to the Superior Court. Before the case was resolved there, Lechmere settled with James, granting him his freedom as well as £2.
  • HWLD Research Binder – “Francis Dana 1743-1811, I,” 1769-1851 and 1905-1909
    Dana Family Papers: Collected Manuscripts, Genealogies, and Research Material, 1661-1972 (bulk dates 1750-1940), LONG 27037 (3004.001.002/005.008.001.001.001)
    • Contains court documents related to the “James, a Negro man vs. Lechmere” case. Includes photostats, watercolor of Francis Dana, and photo of Sharples’ painting of Francis Dana.
  • Letter from David Dennison to Stephen Longfellow (1723-1790), 1772
    Wadsworth-Longfellow Family Papers, 1610-1971 (bulk dates 1745-1950), LONG 27923 (1005/002.004.003)
    • This letter from David Dennison to Stephen Longfellow (II), Henry Longfellow’s great-grandfather, proposes a trade of an enslaved Black girl or woman in exchange for money or a set of oxen.
    • Transcription:
      Mr. Longfaler Esqr. Northyarmouth March 18:1772
      Sir: as I was a talking with you last probet Day about a Negro garle that you Sea at your house last fall you sed you would give me a answer when I came a gaine I have a opertunitey now to rite not noinge when I Shall come that way If you incline to have the negro I would take a yoke of oxen if It Suted you beter then to pay all the muney if you incline to trad I will Cume and Sea you be peas to rite me a line by the b[oy?]
      So no more But I remain your most humble Sa[rvant]
      David Dennison
  • Letter from Maria Theresa (Gold) Appleton to Thomas Gold, 8 April 1819
    Appleton Family Papers, 1752-1962 (bulk dates: 1831-1885), LONG 20256 (1001/002)
    • This letter between Fanny Longfellow's mother Maria and Maria's father, two wealthy northerners, mentions a question in Congress about slavery or an enslaved person. This possibly has to do with slavery in Missouri, which became a part of the United States as a slave state in 1820.
  • Calling Card with Note – Mr. Edwin Reed, 1846
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) Family Papers, 1768-1975 (bulk dates 1825-1950), LONG 27930 (1006/001.001.006)
    • Inscription in pencil on verso: “Slave. 1846 Palfrey. Nov.”
    • This calling card was found by archivists in the book History of the Rise and Fall of the Slave Power in America (LONG 10867) and afterwards moved to the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Family Papers.
    • “Palfrey” could refer to John Gorham Palfrey who published a collection of his works titled Papers on the Slave Power in 1846. He also notably arranged for the emancipation of twenty enslaved people he inherited from his father’s estate.
    • It is unclear how Mr. Edwin Reed and “Palfrey” are related.
  • “Tony Vassall” Doll Notes and Receipt, 1894-1943
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Papers, 1744-1972 (bulk dates 1850-1950), LONG 17314 (1002/009.002)
    • Notes and receipt related to a handmade doll (LONG 17905) of a Black male with exaggerated racialized features in detailed, handsewn colonial gentleman’s attire: overcoat, silk waistcoat, velvet breeches, tricorn hat, leather shoes. The doll has human hair and is accompanied by a walking stick. It was originally housed in a paper/cardboard box. The doll is now in our museum collection.
    • Receipt shows that the doll was purchased on June 23, 1943 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (Harry) Dana for $15.
    • Note: The true intended identity of the doll is either Tony or Darby Vassall. In the paperwork for the object, as well as in other histories of these men, Tony and Darby have often been confused for each other. The letter accompanying the doll, which was moved to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana Collected Material, conflates the life experiences of Tony and Darby.

Related Scholarship

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At Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, staff have been working hard to better understand the history of slavery at 105 Brattle Street and throughout the region. These articles, pages, and videos, created by National Park Service staff, offer insights into the lives of the enslaved people forced to make Cambridge their home. Research continues into the history of the people who were enslaved here, and this list will be updated as new scholarship emerges.


Abolitionism

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The site’s collections contain many items and documents from the years leading up to the abolition of slavery in the United States. Most of these items were created by, collected by, or given to the wealthy white inhabitants of 105 Brattle Street.

It's important to note that though the Longfellows were abolitionists, they still heavily benefited from slavery in the United States. As one example, Nathan Appleton, Fanny’s father, purchased 105 Brattle Street for the couple in 1843 after they married. Nathan Appleton’s vast wealth came from his early investments in textile manufacturing in Waltham and later Lowell, Massachusetts. His mills were inextricably linked to slavery and the southern cotton economy.

In the site’s collections, the only items specifically related to Black abolitionists are newspaper clippings from the mid-1900s regarding Frederick Douglass. The rest of this section of the research guide will address the items we have that discuss abolitionism from a white perspective.

  • Clippings re: Frederick Douglass, J.G. Whittier, 1941-1949
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Papers, 1744-1972 (bulk dates 1850-1950), LONG 17314 (1002/012 Addendum)


White Abolitionism

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The largest number of items related to Black history in the Longfellow Archives are collections that address the abolition of slavery. These documents are typically from the perspective of wealthy white Americans, including Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, his family, and their peers. In this section on “White Abolitionism,” you can find items pertaining to famous white abolitionists, as well as those less famous. You can also find items related to Fanny Longfellow, Reverend Samuel Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Charles Sumner, and Richard Henry Dana Jr. Each of these people participated in abolitionist activities in their own sphere, whether it be domestic, spiritual, political, or professional.

  • Letter from Anne Longfellow Pierce to Mary Longfellow Greenleaf, 16 January 1849
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) Family Papers, 1768-1975 (bulk dates 1825-1950), LONG 27930 (1006/007.002)
    • This letter contains a newspaper clipping on the Portland Anti-Slavery Lyceum mentioning William Ellery Channing, Theodore[?] Parker, William Lloyd Garrison, Stone[?], Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Lucy Stone, and Wendell Phillips.
  • Letter from H. Green to Ruth Charlotte Dana, circa 1852
    Dana Family Papers: Collected Manuscripts, Genealogies, and Research Material, 1661-1972 (bulk dates 1750-1940), LONG 27037 (3004.001.002/005.019)
    • This letter describes public reaction to Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
  • Garrison, William Lloyd (1805-1879) Papers, 1869-1877
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Papers, 1744-1972 (bulk dates 1850-1950), LONG 17314 (1002/009.003)
    • This file comprises documents related to William Lloyd Garrison, including five letters containing memories and reflections of Garrison and Edmund Quincy’s work in the abolitionist movement.
  • Letter from Edith Longfellow Dana to Anne Allegra (Longfellow) Thorp, 2 March 1875
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) Family Papers, 1768-1975 (bulk dates 1825-1950), LONG 27930 (1006/004.001.003)
    • In this letter from Edith to Anne, Edith mentions Josiah Henson coming to visit: “yesterday morning brought . . . the original ‘Uncle Tom’ ---a fine old negro of 86.”
  • Biographic File – Stowe, Harriet Beecher (1811-1896), 1866-1948
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Papers, 1744-1972 (bulk dates 1850-1950), LONG 17314 (1002/008.002)
    • Henry “Harry” Dana was a prolific researcher of the history of his impressive families and 105 Brattle Street, as well as the United States more broadly. This file contains Harry’s research on Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin and A Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
  • Cabinet card – Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896)
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Papers, 1744-1972 (bulk dates 1850-1950), LONG 17314 (1002/011.002)
    • This item is a photograph of Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin and A Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Manuscript letter
Fanny Longfellow writes to Charles Sumner "Allow me also to congratulate you upon your great speech, - the truest and most exhausting exposition of Slavery that was ever made, I imagine, since civilization was darkened & retarded by it." Click on the image to see the full transcription on NPGallery.

Courtesy of National Park Service, Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters of National Historic Site (1011/002.001-030#013)


Frances Elizabeth Appleton Longfellow (1817-1861)
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Fanny Longfellow did not have as well-known a public persona as her husband, but she opposed slavery and supported the abolitionist cause in a way suited to a wealthy married woman in the 1800s. Most of the site’s resources from Fanny come from her correspondence, where she spoke extensively of the abolitionist cause.

  • Fanny Longfellow correspondence, 1833-1861
    Frances Elizabeth Appleton Longfellow (1817-1861) Papers, 1825-1961 (bulk dates: 1832-1861), LONG 20257 (1011/002)
    • Many of Fanny Longfellow’s letters are available on our Digital Archive Portal on NPGallery.
    • Specific correspondents with whom Fanny discusses slavery and abolition include Nathan Appleton, Charles Sumner, Eliza Lee (Cabot) Follen, Mary (Appleton) Mackintosh, Thomas Gold Appleton, Emmeline (Austin) Wadsworth, Maria (White) Lowell, Elizabeth R. Peabody (possibly Elizabeth Palmer Peabody), Margaret Weatherston, and Mary Appleton (Weatherston) Davis.
    • These letters contain references to such subjects as:
      • The Fugitive Slave Act and Thomas Sims (The Sims Affair)
      • Charles Sumner, his speeches and public reaction to them, his elections, the attack by Preston Brooks and his recovery from the attack
      • Mattie Griffith (Martha Griffith Browne), author of Autobiography of a Female Slave
      • The Liberty Bell publication
      • Anti-Slavery Fairs at Faneuil Hall, possibly the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Fair
      • Her friend’s (Weatherston) own experiences marrying into a family that enslaved people
      • Fanny Kemble
      • Slavery in Illinois
      • Daniel Webster
      • Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and A Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin
      • Freedom seekers
      • Education of freedom seekers in Canada
      • The Kansas-Nebraska Act
      • Friendship with Count Adam G. de Gurowski and thoughts on his book containing a chapter on slavery, America and Europe
      • John Brown and Bleeding Kansas, donating money to the people in Kansas
      • President Abraham Lincoln’s candidacy and inauguration
      • George William Curtis

Reverend Samuel Longfellow (1819-1892)
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Samuel Longfellow was an ardent abolitionist and pacifist. He used his voice as a poet and a preacher to condemn slavery through The Liberty Bell and to his congregations in Fall River, MA and Brooklyn, NY. He believed the institution of slavery was an antithesis to the teachings of Jesus Christ. When the Civil War began, Samuel had to reconsider his pacifist beliefs. After the war, Longfellow became an advocate for Black suffrage.

  • Sermon Against Mexican-American War, Slavery, April 1847
    Reverend Samuel Longfellow (1819-1892) Papers, 1792-1963 (bulk dates 1835-1894), LONG 33705 (1010/003.001.001)
  • Sermon - “Christ Our Judge and the Judge of the World,” 1 October 1848-25 May 1856
    Reverend Samuel Longfellow (1819-1892) Papers, 1792-1963 (bulk dates 1835-1894), LONG 33705 (1010/003.001.001)
    • In this sermon, Longfellow states that slavery is a “practical denial of human brotherhood” and would have been condemned by Jesus.
  • Sermon - “The Fashion of This World Passeth Away [Anti-Slavery Message],” 13 October 1859
    Reverend Samuel Longfellow (1819-1892) Papers, 1792-1963 (bulk dates 1835-1894), LONG 33705 (1010/003.001.001)
  • Notes - “Slavery,” circa 1850
    Reverend Samuel Longfellow (1819-1892) Papers, 1792-1963 (bulk dates 1835-1894), LONG 33705 (1010/003.003)
    • These notes are comprised of research materials Longfellow drew from the books he studied, his own thoughts, and pages from sermons he otherwise discarded.
  • “Hymn [for The Boston Anti-Slavery Bazaar],” circa 1850
    Reverend Samuel Longfellow (1819-1892) Papers, 1792-1963 (bulk dates 1835-1894), LONG 33705 (1010/003.005.002)
  • Correspondence between Reverend Samuel Longfellow and Samuel Johnson, 1843-1881
    Reverend Samuel Longfellow (1819-1892) Papers, 1792-1963 (bulk dates 1835-1894), LONG 33705 (1010/002.002)
    • Samuel Longfellow’s fellow Harvard Divinity graduate, colleague, and intimate friend Samuel Johnson (1822-1882) is one of the major correspondents represented in this collection (Longfellow probably retrieved these letters when he was writing a posthumous memoir of Johnson). The compilation and publication of various editions of their two hymn books is frequently discussed. These letters also reveal Longfellow's development as a religious leader and include discussions of the institution of slavery, the Civil War, and emancipation. Johnson was staunchly anti-slavery and supported many reform movements. For example, John Brown visited Johnson in spring 1859, several months before the raid on Harpers Ferry.
  • Correspondence - Amory Battles
    Reverend Samuel Longfellow (1819-1892) Papers, 1792-1963 (bulk dates 1835-1894), LONG 33705 (1010/002)
    • One of Longfellow’s correspondents is Amory Battles, a Unitarian minister and abolitionist.


Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote extensively on his feelings towards slavery not only publicly in his Poems on Slavery and other works, but also privately. He wrote about abolition in his journals and letters. In his account books, he kept track of his donations to freedom seekers and anti-slavery organizations. These books are held in the Houghton Library at Harvard University, and some are digitized and available online. To learn more about these documents, please go to the section in this research guide titled “Harvard University.”

  • Microfilm reference copies of items at Harvard University
    Listed in the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) Family Papers, 1768-1975 (bulk dates 1825-1950), LONG 27930 (1006 Appendix A)
    • Microfilm Case 3, Box MS 13
      #145 – Includes Negro Preacher Hunt’s sermon which Longfellow heard in Pittsfield 1848
    • Microfilm Case 3, Box J 2
      #193 – Includes European address and account book with first draft of poems on slavery
    • Microfilm Case 3, Box J 3
      #197 – Includes European account book with first draft of poems on slavery
  • Research files – Poems on Slavery (1842), 1851-1948; Poems on Slavery (1842) – Notebook
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Papers, 1744-1972 (bulk dates 1850-1950), LONG 17314 (1002/008.004.002)
    • These research files about Poems of Slavery were compiled by Henry "Harry" Dana after Henry Wadsworth Longfellow passed away.
  • Letters from George William Curtis to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1856
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) Family Papers, 1768-1975 (bulk dates 1825-1950), LONG 27930 (1006/001.001.003)
    • These letters contain discussion of anti-slavery issues.
  • Letter from John Wadsworth to Anne Longfellow Pierce, 1857
    Wadsworth-Longfellow Papers, 1610-1971 (bulk dates 1745-1950), LONG 27923 (1005/004.005)
    • In the letter, John Wadsworth makes note of a $1,000 donation Henry Wadsworth Longfellow made to the Kansas Emigrant Aid Society. Emigrant aid organizations encouraged abolitionists and anti-slavery voters to move to Kansas once the state was formed and make sure slavery was illegal within the state.
    • Excerpt from transcription:
      “. . . Henry of his own free will sent the Dressing gown. When I read of his splendid contribution ($1,000) to the Kansas Emigrant Aid Society I could not avoid wishing that he would be inspired with the idea of completing the suit & at least furnish his mother's brother with a decent exterior. . .”


Charles Sumner (1811-1874)
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Charles Sumner was a close friend to the Longfellows and a staunch abolitionist who fought for the end of slavery as a United States senator from Massachusetts.

  • Letter from John Wadsworth to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 26 June 1856
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) Family Papers, 1768-1975 (bulk dates 1825-1950), LONG 27930 (1006/001.001.003)
    • In this letter, Wadsworth mentions receiving Charles Sumner’s “last” speech, possibly “The Crimes Against Kansas” which Sumner presented the month before. In “The Crimes Against Kansas” he spoke on the subject of Kansas joining the Union as a free state or a slave state and insulted two Southern senators. This speech preceded Representative Preston Brooks caning Sumner on the floor of the Senate after the Senate had adjourned on May 22nd. At the time Wadsworth wrote to Longfellow, Sumner was recovering from the attack.
  • Letter from George Washington Greene to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 4 November 1856
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) Family Papers, 1768-1975 (bulk dates 1825-1950), LONG 27930 (1006/001.001.003)
    • This letter addresses a speech “recently” made by Charles Sumner, possibly “The Crimes Against Kansas” from May of the same year.
  • Transcriptions of Letters from Charles Sumner to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, n.d.
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Papers, 1744-1972 (bulk dates 1850-1950), LONG 17314 (1002/008.004.001.002.006)
  • Photographs
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Papers, 1744-1972 (bulk dates 1850-1950), LONG 17314 (1002/011.002 & .003)
    Cabinet card – Charles Sumner in the autumn of 1873
    Cabinet card – Charles Sumner
    Photograph – Charles Sumner
    Carte de visite – “The Politics and Poetry of New England,” Charles Sumner and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1863
    Carte de visite – Charles Sumner (1811-1874) [standing]
    Carte de visite – Charles Sumner (1811-1874) [head only]
  • Sumner, Charles (1811-1874) Papers, 1837-1870
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Papers, 1744-1972 (bulk dates 1850-1950), LONG 17314, Object # LONG 18671 (1002/009.003)
  • Biographic File - Sumner, Charles (1811-1874), 1842-1971
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Papers, 1744-1972 (bulk dates 1850-1950), LONG 17314 (1002/008.002)
    • Henry “Harry” Dana was a prolific researcher of the history of his impressive families and 105 Brattle Street, as well as the United States more broadly. This two-part file contains Harry’s research on Charles Sumner.
  • Program – Charles Sumner Memorial Service, 29 April 1874 [fragment]
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) Family Papers, 1768-1975 (bulk dates 1825-1950), LONG 27930 (1006/004.001.011)
    • This paper is included in the guide due to the likelihood that Charles Sumner’s memorials and obituaries will contain information about his work as a senator and abolitionist.
  • Sumner, Charles (1811-1874) – Documents regarding the death of, 14 March-18 December 1874
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Papers, 1744-1972 (bulk dates 1850-1950), LONG 17314, Object # LONG 18673 (1002/009.003)
    • Items regarding Charles Sumner’s funeral and memorials collected by Henry “Harry” Dana, a prolific researcher of his family’s and United States history.
    • These papers are included in the guide due to the likelihood that Charles Sumner’s memorials and obituaries will contain information about his work as a senator and abolitionist.
  • “A Little Person’s Memories of Great People: Charles Sumner,” n.d.
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) Family Papers, 1768-1975 (bulk dates 1825-1950), LONG 27930 (1006/004.001.004)
    • This piece of writing was authored by Anne Allegra Longfellow Thorp (1855-1934).
Handwritten notes
Richard Henry Dana Jr.'s handwritten notes at the trial of James Scott who assisted in the escape of freedom seeker Shadrach Minkins. To see more of this document, contact our archivist.

Courtesy of National Park Service, Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site (3004.001.002/005.020.001.002.004.004)


Richard Henry Dana Jr. (1815-1882)
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The site’s collections include the correspondence and legal papers of Richard Henry Dana Jr. (1815-1882), lawyer, author of Two Years Before the Mast, and U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts during the Civil War. He served as legal consultant in Boston in litigations surrounding the Fugitive Slave Law, including Shadrach Minkins in 1851 and Anthony Burns in 1854. His son Richard Henry Dana III married Edith Longfellow, the daughter of Henry and Fanny Longfellow.

  • Documents related to “rescue trials,” which, in these cases, refer to trials of people who refused to yield to the Fugitive Slave Act. These include the trials of Anthony Burns, men who broke Shadrach Minkins out of jail, and others.
    Dana Family Papers: Collected Manuscripts, Genealogies, and Research Material, 1661-1972 (bulk dates 1750-1940), LONG 27037 (3004.001.002/005.020.001.001 & .002)
    • “James Scott – Hearing Before Commissioner Hallett, Feb. 26, 1851”
    • U.S. vs. Scott, Trial Notes, May 27, 1851
    • “The Rescue Trials,” Trial of James Scott, Daily Morning Commonwealth, June 6, 1851
    • “James Scott – Evidence at Preliminary Hearing,” n.d.
    • James Scott – Legal Brief, n.d.
    • “The Boston Slave Case: Attempt to Assassinate Richard H. Dana.” New York Daily Tribune, June 5, 1854
    • “The Boston Slave Case,” The Evening Post, June 6, 1854 [2 copies]
    • Corres. from RHD Jr. to George William Curtis, 1872
    • “RHD Jr. and the Slave Cases,” Boston Daily Advertiser, Sept. 20, 1872
    • Daily Evening Traveller, 15 April 1851 with article re: “Conduct of the Sheriff” [Sims Case]
    • “The Slave Catching Witnesses…,” Daily Morning Commonwealth, June 9, 1851
    • Articles, 1851 [oversize] - (“The Slave Catching Witnesses…,” Daily Morning Commonwealth, June 9, 1851)
    • [oversize] – (Prescott and Scott trial notes)
      • Richard Henry Dana Jr’s hand-written transcripts of pre-trial testimonies and notes from James Scott’s case related to the rescue of Shadrach Minkins.
    • News Articles – Rescue Trials, 1935
    • News Article – Anthony Burns Case, n.d.
  • Miscellaneous correspondence regarding Shadrach Minkins, 1912-1914
    Folder: Dana, Richard Henry Jr. (1815-1882) #16, 1912-1914
    Richard Henry Dana III (1851-1931) Papers, 1797-1947 (bulk dates 1860-1915), LONG 27883 (1004.001.002/002.003)
    • Two letters regarding Shadrach Minkins Rescue Case.
  • Letter from John T. Morse to Elizabeth Ellery “Lily” Dana, 29 March 1927
    Elizabeth Ellery Dana (1846-1939) Personal Papers, 1829-1940 (bulk dates 1860-1939), LONG 27882 (1003.002/002.002)
    • This letter from John T. Morse, a friend of Richard Henry Dana Jr., Lily’s father, speaks of him highly as a lawyer of the “slavery-case.”
    • This letter is located in folder M–P, 1861-1936.
  • Photographic Images for RHD Jr. Journal, n.d.
    Dana Family Papers: Collected Manuscripts, Genealogies, and Research Material, 1661-1972 (bulk dates 1750-1940), LONG 27037 (3004.001.002/005.020)
    • Part 1 and 2
    • The following are among photographs gathered for a 1968 edition of Richard Henry Dana Jr.’s Journal by Robert Lucid:
      • “Exeter Hall / The Great Anti-Slavery Meeting” 1841
      • “Convention of the Anti-Slavery Society” 1843
  • The Commonwealth, 24 February 1851
    Dana Family Papers: Collected Manuscripts, Genealogies, and Research Material, 1661-1972 (bulk dates 1750-1940), LONG 27037 (3004.001.002/005.020.001.002.009)
    • Nathan Hall sermon “The Limits of Civil Obedience” and “Letter of Hon. Charles Francis Adams Upon the Fugitive Slave Law”
  • Note re: RHD Jr. and Charles Sumner Oration, n.d.
    Dana Family Papers: Collected Manuscripts, Genealogies, and Research Material, 1661-1972 (bulk dates 1750-1940), LONG 27037 (3004.001.002/005.020.001.001)
    • A note by Henry “Harry” Dana about an oration created by his grandfather, Richard Henry Dana Jr., and Charles Sumner.
  • News Articles, Page Proof & RHD Jr. Biography, 1859, 1941-1948, n.d.
    Dana Family Papers: Collected Manuscripts, Genealogies, and Research Material, 1661-1972 (bulk dates 1750-1940), LONG 27037 (3004.001.002/005.020.001.001)
    • Collected by Harry Dana. Harry was a prolific researcher of the history of his impressive families and 105 Brattle Street, as well as the United States more broadly. Richard Henry Dana Jr. was his grandfather.
  • Letter from Cornelius Conway Felton to Richard Henry Dana, Jr., 12 February 1861
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Papers, 1744-1972 (bulk dates 1850-1950), LONG 17314 (1002/008.002)
    • Includes a reaction to Dana's speech in February 1861 and an assessment of affairs in the south including John Brown.
    • The original item is in Cornelius Conway Felton’s Miscellaneous Famous People file, a copy is in his Biographic File.
  • U.S. Grant’s Calling Card, n.d.
    Dana Family Papers: Collected Manuscripts, Genealogies, and Research Material, 1661-1972 (bulk dates 1750-1940), LONG 27037 (3004.001.002/005.020.001.002)
    • Ulysses S. Grant
  • Notes & Newspaper Obituaries, 1882
    Dana Family Papers: Collected Manuscripts, Genealogies, and Research Material, 1661-1972 (bulk dates 1750-1940), LONG 27037 (3004.001.002/005.020.001.001)
    • Collected by Elizabeth Ellery "Lily" Dana.
    • These papers are included in this guide due to the likelihood that Richard Henry Dana Jr.’s memorials and obituaries will contain information about his work as a lawyer.

Related Scholarship


Over their years at 105 Brattle Street, the Longfellows expressed their desire to further the cause of abolition in different ways. The following articles, exhibits, and pages, created by National Park Service staff, discuss Henry’s engagement with the fight for civil rights and formerly enslaved people who made an impression on the North.

The Civil War

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The Longfellows, Danas, and Appletons reacted to the Civil War similarly to other wealthy white families in the area. Some of the young men went to war. Other family members donated money to different causes or collected patriotic ephemera and memorabilia. Still others made socks and bandages to send to soldiers on the front.
A drawing of an enslaved person next to the phrase "the innocent cause of the war."
The fifth envelope from Alice Mary Longfellow's Civil War Cachets Scrapbook. Click on the image to see the complete scrapbook in NPGallery.

Courtesy of National Park Service, Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site; Archives Number 1007/006.001-020

Reactions to the War

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This section of our research guide comprises items related to wealthy white civilians’ reactions to the Civil War.

  • “A Chapter on Miscellaneous Topics for Mary’s Wreath,” n.d.
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) Family Papers, 1768-1975 (bulk dates 1825-1950), LONG 27930 (1006/011 Writings)
    • This piece of writing concerns pre-Civil War relations between the North and South.
  • Microfilm reference copies of items at Harvard University
    Listed in the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) Family Papers, 1768-1975 (bulk dates 1825-1950), LONG 27930 (1006 Appendix A)
    • Microfilm Case 3, Box MS 15
      #239 – Includes Civil War letters of Major George B. McClellan and Governor John A. Andrew, (1861)
  • Dana Collected Correspondence, circa 1860s
    Dana Collected Correspondence, 1808-1938 (bulk dates 1857-1934), LONG 21808 (3003)
    • In the Dana correspondence collection, we have many letters pertaining to the Civil War. The most common related keyword in the correspondence index is “soldier.” The people who usually discuss the Civil War include Ruth Charlotte Dana, Elizabeth Ellery “Lily” Dana, Sarah (Watson) Dana, Sarah Watson (Dana) Swayne, Mary (Marsh) Watson, and Minnie B. Watson.
  • Scrapbook of Civil War envelopes, n.d.
    Alice Mary Longfellow (1850-1928) Papers, 1855-1965 (bulk dates: 1873-1928), LONG 16173 (1007.001/006.001)
  • Letter from Emmeline Austin Wadsworth to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 14 September 1862
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) Family Papers, 1768-1975 (bulk dates 1825-1950), LONG 27930 (1006/001.001.003)
    • In this letter, Emmeline Wadsworth discusses the Civil War.
  • Correspondence between Ernest Wadsworth Longfellow (1845-1924) and Massachusetts Officials re: Boston Harbor Defenses, 23 October 1863
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) Family Papers, 1768-1975 (bulk dates 1825-1950), LONG 27930 (1006/001.001.013)
    • This correspondence discusses the defense of Boston Harbor during the Civil War.
  • Several pieces of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poetry are connected to the Civil War. There are multiple published copies of each poem in the collections. The site also has research files related to several of these poems, which were assembled by Henry “Harry” Dana after Longfellow passed away. The research files are in the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Papers, 1744-1972 (bulk dates 1850-1950), LONG 17314 (1002/008.004.002).
    • “Paul Revere’s Ride,” 1860
      Longfellow published "Paul Revere's Ride" right before the outset of the Civil War, partially as a way to bolster the Union and call on citizens to protect and serve it.
      • Research files - Tales of a Wayside Inn (1863) – “Paul Revere’s Ride”
    • “The Cumberland,” 1863
      This piece of writing memorializes the crew of the USS Cumberland, which was sunk along with the USS Congress by the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia in 1862.
    • “Christmas Bells,” 1864
      "Christmas Bells" was inspired by the despair of the Civil War but contains hope for the future.
      • Research file - “Christmas Bells” (1867), 1940-1948
    • “Killed at the Ford,” 1866
      “Killed at the Ford” was inspired in part by the death of one of Longfellow's friend's sons. The poem addresses the loss of youth in the war and the impact of that loss at home.
      • Research file – “Killed at the Ford” (1867), 1943
    • “A Nameless Grave,” 1875
      “A Nameless Grave” is another poem that was inspired by loss. In it, Longfellow stresses the importance of remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the war.
  • Letters from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to Ernest Wadsworth Longfellow, 1866
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) Family Papers, 1768-1975 (bulk dates 1825-1950), LONG 27930 (1006/001.001.002)
    • September 2, 1866: In this letter, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow expresses his discontent with President Andrew Johnson.
    • March 10, 1866: Letter contains a discussion of problems Charles Sumner was dealing with at the time including friction with President Andrew Johnson. President Johnson opposed legislation that was intended to protect the rights of the enslaved people who won their freedom at the end of the Civil War.
  • “Charles Sumner and the Battle Flags” [three articles], The Commonwealth, ca. July 1874 and Related Senate Bill, 1872
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) Family Papers, 1768-1975 (bulk dates 1825-1950), LONG 27930 (1006/001.001.013)
    • To foster unity after the Civil War ended, Charles Sumner wanted to make sure that battles between fellow citizens were not celebrated by the United States government.

Serving the Union

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During the Civil War, multiple Longfellows and extended family members served the Union in different ways. Richard Henry Dana Jr. acted as a U.S. Attorney for the State of Massachusetts. In addition, three young men – Henry and Fanny Longfellow’s son Charley, Henry’s nephew Stephen Longfellow, and Fanny’s half-brother Nathan Appleton Jr. – served the country as soldiers, and each of these young men were wounded in battle. In the site’s special collections, we have items from Charley’s service, as well as some related documents from other family members, and documents from Abraham Lincoln which certify Richard Henry Dana Jr. as a U.S. Attorney.

  • Civil War Muster Roll, 45th Regiment, Massachusetts, 1862 (Accession LONG-70) [oversize]
    Dana Family Papers: Collected Manuscripts, Genealogies, and Research Material, 1661-1972 (bulk dates 1750-1940), LONG 27037 (3004.004)
  • Letter Fragment - Civil War, n.d.
    Dana Family Papers: Collected Manuscripts, Genealogies, and Research Material, 1661-1972 (bulk dates 1750-1940), LONG 27037 (3004.004)
    • This letter concerns enlistment for Civil War service.
  • U.S. Attorney Certificates
    Documents, Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Papers, 1744-1972 (bulk dates 1850-1950), LONG 17314 (1002/011.003 from Series 9)


Charles Appleton Longfellow (1844-1893)
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Charles “Charley” Longfellow served in the 1st Massachusetts Artillery and later in the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry of the Union Army for a small amount of time. His service was cut short, to his chagrin, due to a bullet wound he sustained while participating in the Mine Run Campaign. The museum collection contains many items from his service, including his sabers and uniform. The site’s special collections contain texts and photographs Charley kept which document his time as a soldier.

  • Civil War Journal, 14 August 1863 – 9 December 1863
    Charles Appleton Longfellow (1844-1893) Papers, 1842-1996 (bulk dates 1862-1891), LONG 27888 (1008.001/001)
  • Civil War diary detailing time spent in Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia, circa 1860s
    Charles Appleton Longfellow (1844-1893) Papers, 1842-1996 (bulk dates 1862-1891), LONG 27888 (1008.001/001)
    • Mentions being wounded at New Hope Church, Virginia on November 27, 1863 (“Got pluged [sic].”) Notes from 1 December-9 December in hand of Henry "Harry" Dana with annotation “Copied from Brown Notebook.”
  • Article - “New England Cavalrymen,” n.p., [November 1863] [newsprint]
    Charles Appleton Longfellow (1844-1893) Papers, 1842-1996 (bulk dates 1862-1891), LONG 27888 (1008.001/001)
  • Civil War Documents
    Charles Appleton Longfellow (1844-1893) Papers, 1842-1996 (bulk dates 1862-1891), LONG 27888 (1008.001/004)
    • List of Military Equipage, circa 1862
    • re: Illness and Disability, June-July 1863
    • Letter from Dr. Daltrow to MLG re: Visit to CAL, 22 November 1863
    • Military Appointments, 1863
    • Invoice and Receipt Forms, circa 1863
      • Note re: “Minnie” Longfellow, circa 1863
    • re: Battle Wound, 1863-1864
    • CAL Appointments to Second and First Lieutenant in the First Regiment of Cavalry of Massachusetts Volunteers, 27 March 1863 and 27 January 1864 [oversize]
  • Scrapbooks
    Charles Appleton Longfellow (1844-1893) Papers, 1842-1996 (bulk dates 1862-1891), LONG 27888 (1008.001/005)
    • Civil War Scrapbook, 1863-1864
      • Includes portraits of General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick, Confederate General James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart, General George Armstrong Custer, Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan, and General Ambrose Powell Hill.
    • Articles re: Civil War Events, 1864-1882 [newsprint]
    • Articles re: Civil War Battle and Commemorative Event, 1863, [1865] [oversize newsprint]
  • Letter Transcripts re: CAL Civil War Career, n.d.
    Charles Appleton Longfellow (1844-1893) Papers, 1842-1996 (bulk dates 1862-1891), LONG 27888 (1008.001/010)
  • Clipping re: Generosity to Fellow Soldiers, circa 1893
    Charles Appleton Longfellow (1844-1893) Papers, 1842-1996 (bulk dates 1862-1891), LONG 27888 (1008.001/010)
  • Clipping re: CAL’s Generosity to Fellow Soldiers, circa 1893 [newsprint]
    Charles Appleton Longfellow (1844-1893) Papers, 1842-1996 (bulk dates 1862-1891), LONG 27888 (1008.001/010)
  • Carte-de-visite album of Civil War, circa 1860s
    Charles Appleton Longfellow (1844-1893) Papers, 1842-1996 (bulk dates 1862-1891), LONG 27888, Object # LONG 27910 (1008.002/001.002-002)
  • Photographs - Portraits of Charles Longfellow and Daniel Henry Gleason, circa 1863
    Charles Appleton Longfellow (1844-1893) Papers, 1842-1996 (bulk dates 1862-1891), LONG 27888 (1008.002/001.002-015 #1 and 2)
    • Portrait of Charles Longfellow and D. Gleason in Civil War uniforms. Charley is clean-shaven and stands with his hands in his pockets and wears an army uniform. Gleason has a moustache and goatee, is seated, and wears a similar uniform. They pose on grass with a painted, curtain-like backdrop behind them.
  • Photograph - Charles Longfellow's tattooed back, circa 1874
    Charles Appleton Longfellow (1844-1893) Papers, 1842-1996 (bulk dates 1862-1891), LONG 27888 (1008.002/001.002-015 #30)
    • Charles Longfellow stands facing away from the camera to display the tattoo on his back. A picture of a large, leaping carp extends from his waist to his right shoulder. The bullet wounds he received in the Civil War are visible near his shoulder blades. He wears light colored pants with a leather belt, a straw hat and a chain around his neck. Black background.
  • Photograph - D.H.L. Gleason portrait, 1861
    Charles Appleton Longfellow (1844-1893) Papers, 1842-1996 (bulk dates 1862-1891), LONG 27888 (1008.002/002.002 #134)
    • Daniel Henry Lawrence Gleason stands against a plain background wearing his Civil War uniform. His hat is placed on top of a marble column.


Related Scholarship


In the summer of 2022 at Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site we had a temporary exhibit titled “The Longfellow Family in the Civil War” with an accompanying digital exhibit on our website. Through the digital exhibit and its supplemental articles, you can learn more about the Longfellows’ reactions to the war as well as the experiences of the men who fought in it.

Reconstruction and Post Reconstruction

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After the Civil War, the Longfellows and their extended families continued to support Black Americans and involve themselves in the fight for civil rights. The following lists show the items in the Longfellow collections that are related to Black history between the Civil War and the mid-1900s.

  • Photograph Album, 1866-1867
    Charles Appleton Longfellow (1844-1893) Papers, 1842-1996 (bulk dates 1862-1891), LONG 27888 (1008.002/001.002-008)
    • This photograph album contains photographs collected by Charles Longfellow during his travels in 1866-1867, including a trip to Cuba and the American South. City scenes include views of Charleston, SC; New Orleans, LA; Mobile, AL; Montgomery, AL; and Austin, TX.
    • Views of Charleston, South Carolina, including Fort Sumter (1008.002/001.002-008#75 to #76)
    • View of one side of city street. Three and four-story buildings, sign says "Saddlery warehouse." Second story balcony has elaborate iron grillwork. Eleven pedestrians of various ages and races visible. Probably in the South. (1008.002/001.002-008 #77)
    • View down unpaved path or street with small clapboard cabins along right side, probably built as slave quarters. Black men, women, and children sit on chairs, boxes, and stoops in groups in front of cabins. (1008.002/001.002-008 #78)
    • Views of New Orleans, Louisana, including a cotton warehouse. (1008.002/001.002-008 #79 to #82)
  • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Poems of Places Notebook – Africa, ca.1873-ca.1876
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) Family Papers, 1768-1975 (bulk dates 1825-1950), LONG 27930 (1006/001.001.007)
    • Longfellow kept notebooks of poems related to continents and countries all over the world. These poems contain some reflections on slavery.
  • Photographs – Joseph Gilbert Thorp Jr. (1852-1931), Glass Plate Negatives - digitized material available
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) Family Papers, 1768-1975 (bulk dates 1825-1950), LONG 27930 (1006/004.002.010)
    • Photographs from the "Southern Trip" the Thorps took with Robert C. Ogden of the Southern Educational Conference, about 1903, include images of Black women and children in an unknown location.
    • In the early 1900s, the Thorp girls had Black dolls, two of whom were named Dinah and Bobsy. In this photograph series, as well as in some photographs from the Longfellow Family Photograph Collection (3007.002/001-022), you can see these dolls. There are striking differences between the white dolls and Black dolls in these photographs.
  • Papers relating to Alice Longfellow donations to Black charitable and civil rights organizations, 1893-1928
    Alice Mary Longfellow (1850-1928) Papers, 1855-1965 (bulk dates 1873-1928), LONG 16173 (1007.002/001.004 & 1007.002/004.002)
    • These documents include charity files, memo books, and checkbooks with entries related to the following institutions:
      • Boston & Cambridge Urban League
      • Home for Aged Colored Women
  • Photographs related to the family of Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow Sr.
    Longfellow Family Photograph Collection, 1845-1972 (bulk dates 1860-1920), LONG 27886 (3007.003/001-008 & -013)
    • Album 8, photographs 106-109 from 1896 feature an African American woman named Judy and other women who were possibly servants of the Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow Sr. family.
    • Album 13, photograph 104-112 and 151 from 1912 possibly feature African American men.
  • Photographs related to Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow Jr. – Man Holding Alligator’s Mouth, circa 1905-1925
    Longfellow Family Photograph Collection, 1845-1972 (bulk dates 1860-1920), LONG 27886 (3007.003/002.004 #180)
    • An African American man holds his hands on the upper and lower jaw of an alligator as if to open it. He wears a checked shirt and striped trousers. A dog sits in the left mid-ground.
  • Invitations from St. Monica's Home for Sick Colored Women and Children, 23 April 1904 and 8 June 1905
    Dana Collected Correspondence, 1808-1938 (bulk dates 1857-1934), LONG 21808 (3003.001/001)
    • These invitations were sent to Elizabeth Ellery “Lily” Dana, daughter of Richard Henry Dana Jr., in little bags, which are also part of the site's collections.
  • Subject Correspondence File – Negroes, 1924-1948
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Papers, 1744-1972 (bulk dates 1850-1950), LONG 17314 (1002/002.002)
    • Henry “Harry” Dana kept correspondence related to a myriad of different subjects. This file contains letters with a Black student, invitations and programs to events celebrating Black Americans, and information about Black art and theater.
Manuscript letter
A letter from Henry Grant Mayberry, student at the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, to Alice Mary Longfellow discussing his summer and his experience at Tuskegee. Click on the image to access the letter and its transcript on our NPGallery portal.

Courtesy of National Park Service, Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site; Archives Number 1007.001/002.003-001#065

Education for Black Students

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The Longfellows, Danas, and Thorps concerned themselves with education for students of color after the Civil War. Alice Mary Longfellow funded scholarships for Black and Native American students, while Sarah Watson (Dana) Swayne briefly served as a teacher at the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute.

  • Papers relating to Alice Longfellow donations to educational institutions, 1893-1928
    Alice Mary Longfellow (1850-1928) Papers, 1855-1965 (bulk dates 1873-1928), LONG 16173 (1007.002/001.004 & 1007.002/004.002)
    • These documents include charity files, memo books, and checkbooks with entries related to the following institutions:
      • Atlanta University
      • Berea College
      • Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute
      • Hampton Tuskegee Endowment Fund
      • Palmer Memorial Institute
      • Penn Normal Industrial and Agricultural School
      • Tuskegee Institute
  • Sarah Watson (Dana) Swayne, “Sallie,” correspondence, 1878-1879
    Dana Family Papers: Collected Manuscripts, Genealogies, and Research Material, 1661-1972 (bulk dates 1750-1940), LONG 27037 (3004.001.002/005.022.001.002)
    • Sarah Swayne taught at the Hampton Institute in Virginia from 1878-1879. She likely spoke about her experience in her correspondence around the time she worked there.
  • Photographs – Joseph Gilbert Thorp Jr. (1852-1931), Glass Plate Negatives - digitized material available
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) Family Papers, 1768-1975 (bulk dates 1825-1950), LONG 27930 (1006/004.002.010 #1-3)
    "Southern Trip" [-- Woman on Horseback Leading Men.], circa 1903
    "Southern Trip" [-- Woman in Front of Building.], circa 1903
    "Southern Trip" [-- People on Piazza.], circa 1903
    "Southern Trip" [-- Children Standing in Front of Building.], circa 1903
    "Southern Trip" [-- Children Standing in Front of Fence.], circa 1903
    "Southern Trip" [-- Children Standing in Front of Building.], circa 1903
    • These photographs were taken in the early 1900s, most likely when Anne Allegra Longfellow Thorp and her husband Joseph Gilbert Thorp Jr. went on railroad trips to Black educational institutions in Richmond, VA, Birmingham, AL, and Columbia, SC in 1903, 1904, and 1905 respectively. These tours were planned by Robert C. Ogden of the Southern Educational Conference.
  • Brochure and Letter Fragment - Hampton Institute, Virginia, 1911 & n.d.
    Dana Family Papers: Collected Manuscripts, Genealogies, and Research Material, 1661-1972 (bulk dates 1750-1940), LONG 27037 (3004.004)
  • Mayesville Institute, 1905-1923
    Richard Henry Dana III (1851-1931) Papers, 1797-1947 (bulk dates 1860-1915), LONG 27883 (1004.001.002/008.006)
    Mayesville Institute Correspondence, 1905-1923
    Mayesville Institute Legal & Financial Records, 1905-1916
    Mayesville Institute Legal & Financial Records [oversize]
    Mayesville Institute Additional Material, 1905-1916, n.d.
    Mayesville Institute New Construction, 1905-1906, n.d.
    Mayesville Institute New Construction [oversize]
    • These folders contain information about financial support for the Mayesville Institute, a school for African American children in South Carolina founded in 1882.
A Black man in a suit looks up at a pile of papers sitting on a desk that tower next to him.
Glenn Carrington, intimate friend of Henry "Harry" Dana, stands next to a pile of Harry's mail and documents on the second-floor balcony of 105 Brattle Street.

Courtesy of National Park Service, Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site (1002/009.004)

Black Activists and Artists of the 1900s

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Henry “Harry” Dana, the grandson of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Richard Henry Dana Jr., was an activist and advocate for gay men in his social circles, especially at Harvard and in Cambridge more broadly. He was also a lover of the arts, communism, socialism, historical preservation, and scholarship. He had many friends and colleagues who were activists in the struggle for Black civil rights.

The house itself, known as the “Craigie” House during Harry’s lifetime, was treated as a museum. Staff registered all the people who came and went. The house also hosted events, including a benefit which was attended by Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown, founder of the Palmer Memorial Institute in Sedalia, North Carolina.

  • Incoming correspondence – General – M, 1903-1948
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Papers, 1744-1972 (bulk dates 1850-1950), LONG 17314 (1002/002.001)
    • In this folder there is a letter of introduction to poet and activist Countee Cullen (1903-1946).
  • Correspondence - Carrington, Glenn, 1926-1929
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Papers, 1744-1972 (bulk dates 1850-1950), LONG 17314 (1002/002.001)
    • These letters are from Harry Dana’s intimate friend Glenn Carrington, a queer Black activist. More letters between the two can be found in Carrington’s papers at the New York Public Library.
  • Collected Materials, 1744-1947; Photographs and Negatives
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Papers, 1744-1972 (bulk dates 1850-1950), LONG 17314 (1002/009.004)
    • In this subseries, there are several photographs of Harry Dana’s intimate friend Glenn Carrington, a queer Black activist.
  • Photographs and Negatives Removed from the Collection
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Papers, 1744-1972 (bulk dates 1850-1950), LONG 17314 (1002/011.002)
    • In this series there are several photographs of Harry Dana with Paul Robeson – singer, actor, football player, and activist for civil rights. Robeson started the organization called the American Crusade Against Lynching in 1846.
    • In one of the photographs with Paul Robeson and Harry Dana is William E. Harrison, an activist, writer, and associate editor of the Boston Chronicle. The Boston Chronicle was an historically Black newspaper which was competitive with the Boston Guardian founded by William Monroe Trotter.
  • Literature/Drama index cards – Negro [addresses and citations]
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Papers, 1744-1972 (bulk dates 1850-1950), LONG 17314 (1002/010.006)
    • Henry “Harry” Dana was a prolific researcher and kept thousands of research cards related to different subjects.
  • Lantern Slides
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Papers, 1744-1972 (bulk dates 1850-1950), LONG 17314 (1002/015)
    • In this collection of lantern slides there are many photographs of African Americans acting on stage. Some of the men named in these photographs (#62 and #131) are Rex Ingram, Jack Carter, Ralph Theodore, C. Ellsworth Smith, L. M. Hurdle, Eddie Hodge, Derek Trent, Hugh Rennie, and Al Stokes. It is unclear if all of these are names of Black actors. It is possible that there is also one photograph in this collection of white actors in Blackface.
  • Political and contemporary issues research – African American and Minority Issues, 1934-1946
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Papers, 1744-1972 (bulk dates 1850-1950), LONG 17314 (1002/008.006)
    • Henry “Harry” Dana was a prolific researcher and kept thousands of research files related to different subjects.
  • "The Saturday Evening Quill," 1930
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana (1881-1950) Collected Pamphlets, LONG 17395
    • "The Saturday Evening Quill" was an annual literary magazine of the Saturday Evening Quill Club of Boston, an organization of professional and amateur Black Boston writers. This number from 1930 is the last of the three issues published, and the only one offered for limited sale to the public. This copy is associated with the collected material of Harry Dana; it is unclear when and how Dana acquired it. By 1933, Dana knew the Quill's founder Eugene Gordon through their involvement in the Boston John Reed Club. Dana marked up the table of contents by underlining contributions by Eugene Gordon, Edythe Mae Gordon, and Ralf Coleman.
  • Visitor Registers, 1929-1966
    Longfellow House Trust (1913-1974) Records, 1912-1973 (bulk dates 1934-1966), LONG 16174 (2001/004.001.001)
    • There are nine volumes of visitor registers from when "Craigie" House was a museum. Paul Robeson is recorded in one of these registers, and it's likely that other Black activists and artists are recorded as well.
  • “Craigie” House Events, 1928-1957 - Benefit for Alice Freeman Palmer Memorial
    Longfellow House Trust (1913-1974) Records, 1912-1973 (bulk dates 1934-1966), LONG 16174 (2001/004.004)
    • There is one folder in this subseries which contains correspondence, a guest list, and informational materials dealing with the Palmer Memorial Institute for Black children in Sedalia, North Carolina, and the school’s efforts to raise money. Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown, the school’s founder and president, attended the benefit.

Related Scholarship


During Reconstruction and afterwards the Longfellow family continued to support Black Americans, mostly in financial ways. The article below discusses Alice's scholarships at the Hampton and Tuskegee Institutes.

Books in the Longfellow Family Library

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Longfellow and his extended family collected many books and other published documents. The Longfellow Family Library, held at the Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters NHS, contains dozens of these texts related to slavery and abolitionism. Any items not in the library during Longfellow’s lifetime Henry "Harry" Dana purchased and added to the collection when he was acquiring items for the Longfellow collections. The accompanying PDF describes these books and any unique and identifying features that they might have, including inscriptions.

Scholarship at the National Park Service

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National Park Service staff continuously pursue new scholarship and interpretive offerings. In this section you can find secondary sources from various National Park Service sites that discuss topics related to the resources you’ve seen in the rest of this research guide.

Secondary Sources at Longfellow

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Throughout the majority of this research guide there are interspersed articles, videos, and exhibits that interpret the resources you can find at Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site. This section lists them again for easy access.

Articles/blog posts:

Longfellow House Bulletins:

Videos:

Exhibit:

Resources from Other Parks and Programs

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National Park Service Subjects:


Underground Railroad Network to Freedom

“In 1998, legislation titled, the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act of 1998, was passed, creating the Network to Freedom program. It's mission, through collaboration with local, state and federal entities, as well as individuals and organizations, is to honor, preserve and promote the history of resistance to enslavement through escape and flight, which continues to inspire people worldwide. Through its mission, the Network to Freedom helps to advance the idea that all human beings embrace the right to self-determination and freedom from oppression. Read more about the Network to Freedom program and its mission and goals in the strategic plan.” – Quote from the Network to Freedom home page


Boston National Historical Park / Boston African American National Historic Site

External Resources

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The National Park Service is not the only place you can find related materials to help you continue your research. In this section, you can find lists of resources from other locations as well as secondary sources that might be of interest to you.

Outside Institutions

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Other institutions with related resources to the ones in this guide include repositories like the Houghton Library at Harvard University and the Maine Historical Society, as well as organizations such as the African American Intellectual History Society. These collections help illuminate a more complete understanding of many of the topics contained in the archives of Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site. The following is an alphabetical list of some of these institutions accompanied by related resources.

African American Intellectual History Society


“The African American Intellectual History Society (AAIHS) is an independent scholarly organization that aims to foster dialogue about researching, writing, and teaching black thought and culture. AAIHS originally began as a blog founded by Christopher Cameron in early 2014. Cameron founded the AAIHS blog to ‘provide a space for scholars in disparate fields to discuss the many aspects of teaching and researching Black intellectual history.’” – African American Intellectual History Society, quote from About AAIHS page

Christ Church of Cambridge

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Christ Church is in the process of researching their links to slavery. As of September 2022, they are working to acknowledge this history and respond appropiately. You can contact their team, Christ Church’s Racial Justice Group, at racialjustice@cccambridge.org.

Nicole Piepenbrink recently wrote her 2022 Harvard Graduate School of Design master's thesis on slavery at the site: Here Lies Darby Vassall: Rendering the obscured and concealed history of slavery at Christ Church Cambridge.

Dartmouth College

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  • Appleton Family Papers, 1798-1884, Rauner Special Collections Library, Dartmouth College. (MS 77)
    • This collection comprises research materials used by Louise Hall Tharp when she was writing The Appletons of Beacon Hill.

First Church of Cambridge

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First Church is actively working to own and understand their history of slavery. On their page "Owning our History," they have several resources discussing the history of slavery at the site, including a list of the enslaved people who were members of their congregation according to their records.

Harvard University

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Collections

  • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow papers, Houghton Library, Harvard University. (MS Am 1340)
    • In Harvard’s Henry Wadsworth Longfellow collection, they have Longfellow’s journals, some original manuscripts and letters, papers related to his work as a professor, account books, and other items. You can access the digital copies of some of Longfellow’s writings, including a couple of his journals and his account books, on the collection’s webpage.
    • To learn more about Longfellow’s personal writings related to slavery, as well as his donations to freedom seekers and anti-slavery causes, you can look at our extensive list titled “Slavery and Freedom in the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Papers,” which contains quotes and transcriptions from Longfellow’s materials.
  • Greene-Appleton Family Letters, 1844-1853, Houghton Library, Harvard University. (MS Am 2326)
    • This collection includes the correspondence of Mary Anne (Appleton) Greene, daughter of William Appleton and cousin of Nathan Appleton.


Online Resources

History Cambridge

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History Cambridge, formerly the Cambridge Historical Society, has both special collections and online resources relating to the topic of Black history in Cambridge.

Collections

  • Samuel Francis Batchelder Papers, 1765-1930
    • These papers include Batchelder’s research notes for a book published posthumously in 1930 titled Bits of Cambridge History. The book contains a chapter related to Henry and Penelope Vassall and possibly Tony and Cuba.

Online Resources

King's Chapel

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King’s Chapel has a robust public history program. They have created multiple webpages and articles related to slavery at the chapel and in Boston. They also have a virtual exhibit titled “Uncovering the Past: Exploring Black History through Primary Sources.”

Maine Historical Society

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This repository holds many letters donated by the Wadsworth family members who lived at Wadsworth Hall in Hiram, Maine. It also houses the Longfellow Family Papers, 1741-1859 which contains closely related personal, legal, and financial materials, primarily of Stephen Longfellow (1750-1824) and his son Stephen (1776-1849), Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's father.

  • Wadsworth Family Papers, c. 1797-1870 (Coll. 2378), Maine Historical Society.
    • This collection holds an indenture document of a Black man named Sambo Fodder or Foode (spelling is unclear), who was indentured by Peleg Wadsworth, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s maternal grandfather, in 1808.
  • Wadsworth-Longfellow Family Papers, 1762-1921 (Coll. 1606), Maine Historical Society.

Massachusetts Historical Society

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  • Appleton Family Papers, 1303-1941 (bulk: 1795-1916), Massachusetts Historical Society. (Ms. N-1778)
    • Papers of many Appleton family members including Nathan Appleton, his brother, Samuel Appleton, and sons, Thomas Gold Appleton and Nathan Appleton Jr. Nathan Appleton Jr. served in the Civil War. This collection includes scrapbooks made by Nathan Appleton Jr. and other items related to his service.

Museum of African American History

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This museum, located in Boston and Nantucket, has many resources you can access. They are an institution that is actively collecting materials that fit their collection scope:

“The Museum of African American History collects artifacts and archival materials of New England relating to the cultural life of people of African descent and the pursuit of liberty and justice in America. The primary focus is the colonial period through the end of the 19th century. The secondary focus is the 20th century.” – quote from the MAAH “Donate to the Collections” web page

The Museum of African American History collaborated with the National Park Service to create a series of articles titled Smith Court Stories: Justice from the Ground Up at the African Meeting House, Abiel Smith School, and Beacon Hill. They also worked with Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery to produce a virtual exhibit called We Claim Space which features a timeline of Darby Vassall’s life.

New York Public Library

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Old North Church and Historic Site

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  • Illuminating the Unseen is a project that Old North has started in order to shed light on histories at the site that have been previously ignored, including Black History.

Peabody Essex Museum

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  • Reverend Samuel Johnson Papers, 1745-1899, undated, The Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts.
    • Johnson’s papers include correspondence to and from Reverend Samuel Longfellow, his intimate friend and hymnbook collaborator.

Robbins House

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Robbins House tells the story of African American history in Concord, Massachusetts. They have a self-guided walking tour map, virtual tours, an exhibit on a woman named Ellen Garrison, and many other resources you can find online or in person.

Royall House and Slave Quarters

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This historical site has archeological evidence of slavery in the Boston area as well as primary sources such as public records, newspapers, and correspondence, many of which are digitized and on their website. The house is located close-by in Medford, Massachusetts. There was inter-marriage between the Royalls and Vassalls, and Tony and Cuba Vassall most likely met when Cuba’s enslaver, Penelope Royall, married Tony’s enslaver, Henry Vassall, and the women moved to Cambridge.

Reading List

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The following is a list of published books related to the topics you find in this research guide, last updated in September of 2022. Any books that are fully available or have a free preview online have a link that will bring you to the book. If you have any published literature you think we should add or any adjustments we should make, please email our curatorial staff.

  • Adams, Charles Francis. Richard Henry Dana, a biography. Boston: Houghton Mifflin and Company, 1890.
  • Cameron, Cristopher. To Plead Our Own Cause: African Americans in Massachusetts and the Making of the Antislavery Movement. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 2014.
  • Gaston, William Alexander. The Problems of Peace: A Study of the Essential Needs of Massachusetts During the Reconstruction Period. Reprint edition. London: Forgotten Books, 2018.
  • Hardesty, Jared Ross. Black Lives, Native Lands, White Worlds: A History of Slavery in New England. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2019, pp. 114-115.
  • Lucid, Robert F. The Journal of Richard Henry Dana, Jr., Volumes 1-3. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1968.
  • Ware, Edith Ellen. Political Opinion in Massachusetts During the Civil War and Reconstruction. Reprint edition. London:‎ Forgotten Books, 2017.

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Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site

Last updated: August 21, 2023