Guide to the Henry Wheaton family papers, 1786-1926

John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Telephone: Manuscripts: 401-863-3723; University Archives: 401-863-2148
Email: Manuscripts: hay@brown.edu; University Archives: archives@brown.edu

Published in 2016

Collection Overview

Title:	Henry Wheaton family papers
Date range:	1786-1926
Creator:	Wheaton, Henry, 1785-1848
Extent:	0.5 Linear feet
Abstract:	Collection of 275 letters and manuscripts for the period 1786 to 1926, chiefly correspondence of Henry Wheaton and his family in Europe and America concerning personal, diplomatic, legal, and political affairs, especially during the War of 1812. Also Wheaton's diary during 1827-1835, a diary kept by his daughter, Abby during 1835 and biographical notes about Wheaton and his uncle, Dr. Levi Wheaton, who was Professor of Medicine at Brown University.
Language of materials:	English, French, German
Repository:	John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts
Collection number:	Ms.Wheaton

Scope & content

Collection of 275 letters and manuscripts for the period 1786 to 1926, chiefly correspondence of Henry Wheaton and his family in Europe and America concerning personal, diplomatic, legal, and political affairs, especially during the War of 1812. Also Wheaton's diary during 1827-1835, a diary kept by his daughter, Abby during 1835 and biographical notes about Wheaton and his uncle, Dr. Levi Wheaton, who was Professor of Medicine at Brown University.

Access Points

Subject Names

• Wheaton, Abby
• Wheaton, Catharine E. Wheaton, 1785-1866
• Wheaton, Levi, 1761-1851
• Wheaton, Robert, 1826-1851

Subject Topics

• Diplomatic and consular service, American
• Diplomats--United States--19th century

Geographical Names

• United States--History--War of 1812

Subject Topics

• Government, Politics and Law
• Social Life and Customs
• Military

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in 8 series.

• Series 1: Undated correspondence
• Series 2: Dated correspondence
• Series 3: Fragments and miscellaneous envelopes
• Series 4: Correspondence regarding collection
• Series 5: Biographical information
• Series 6: Writings by Robert Wheaton
• Series 7: Transcriptions of George Douglas letters
• Series 8: Diaries

Biographical/Historical note

Henry Wheaton (1785-1848), diplomat and authority on international law, was born in Providence on November 27, 1785. His parents, Seth and Abigail Wheaton were first cousins. He prepared for college at the University Grammar School and entered Rhode Island College at the age of thirteen. At Commencement in 1802 he delivered an oration on “Progress of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences during the Eighteenth Century.” After graduation he read law in a local law office, and in 1805 went to Europe to study civil law at Poitiers. The next year he began the practice of law in Providence. In 1811 he married his cousin Catharine Wheaton (1785-1866), who was the daughter of Levi Wheaton (Brown, Class of 1782). Levi, who had a great influence on young Henry, became a professor at the medical school at Brown. In 1812, Henry moved to New York and became editor of the National Advocate, for which he wrote about the War of 1812. He was a justice of the marine court of New York City from 1815 to 1819 and Reporter of the Decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1816 to 1827. He was a member of the New York State constitutional convention of 1821, served one term in the New York Assembly, and ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate. In 1827, President John Quincy Adams appointed him chargé d’affaires to Denmark, where he negotiated a treaty recovering payment for the seizure of American ships and became proficient in the Danish language. In 1835, he was appointed chargé d’affaires at Berlin and two years later was promoted to envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Prussia. His diplomatic career spanned the administrations of six presidents from John Quincy Adams who appointed him to James K. Polk who dismissed him. On his return to the United States in 1846 he was offered a lectureship in civil and international law at Harvard, but was prevented by ill health from preparing his lectures. He died on March 11, 1848 in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Among the writings which made Wheaton famous were: Digest of Maritime Law (1815); History of the Northmen (1831); Elements of International Law (1836); Enquiry into the Validity of the British Claim to a Right of Visitation and Search of American Vessels Suspected to be Engaged in the African Slave Trade (1842); and History of the Law of Nations in Europe and America, from the Earliest Times to the Treaty of Washington (1845) (a work which was first written in French for a competition of the French Institute, in which it won honorable mention). The Brown University Library’s Wheaton Collection of International Law, founded in 1902, is named for him.

Citation: Mitchell, Martha. Encyclopedia Brunoniana, (Providence: Brown University Library), 1993, p.575-576.

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Use of the materials:	Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Preferred citation:	Henry Wheaton papers, Ms. Wheaton, Brown University Library.
Contact information:	John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts Box A Brown University Providence, RI 02912 Telephone: Manuscripts: 401-863-3723; University Archives: 401-863-2148 Email: Manuscripts: hay@brown.edu; University Archives: archives@brown.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
Acquisition:	Gift of Mary Rivers in 1936.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Finding aid prepared by Karen Eberhart.
Encoding:	This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2016-11-16
Descriptive rules:	Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Additional Information

Related material:

See also materials at the Massachusetts Historical Society Library: Henry Wheaton despatches, 1835-1846 (Ms. N-151) Letters to Seth Wheaton, 1805-1806 (Ms. S-142) - Printed in the Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, vol. XIX, pp. 361-376. Abby Wheaton commonplace-book, 1838-1843. (Ms. SBd-44) Letters written to John Bailey, 1817-1823 Correspondence between Henry Wheaton and Edward Everett written during 1840s.

Inventory

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