Converted to EAD3 : Encoded Archival Description (EAD), Version 3 : Release: 1.1.1 : Release Date: 2019-12-16. Validating against latest version of schema.
Contact information: https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/mss.contact
Catalog Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/mm80020255
Collection material in English
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
The correspondence of John Fairfield, United States senator and representative and governor of Maine, was given to the Library of Congress by Martha W. Fairfield in 1913. Additional material was purchased in 1943.
The correspondence of John Fairfield was processed by Walter Albano in 1980 and prepared for microfilming in 1985. The finding aid was revised in 2003 by Patrick Kerwin. The finding aid was updated in 2023 by Maria Farmer as part of a division-wide remediation project by the Inclusive Description Working Group.
Other Fairfield papers are in the possession of the Maine Historical Society in Portland, Maine.
The Manuscript Division also holds John Fairfield correspondence in the papers of James K. Polk and Martin Van Buren.
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of John Fairfield is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
The correspondence of John Fairfield is 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.
A microfilm edition of this correspondence is available on three reels. Consult reference staff in the Manuscript Division concerning availability for purchase or interlibrary loan. To promote preservation of the originals, researchers are required to consult the microfilm edition.
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container or reel number, John Fairfield Correspondence, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
The correspondence of John Fairfield (1797-1847) spans the years 1828 to 1876, with the bulk of the material extending over the period 1835 to 1847. The collection consists chiefly of letters from Fairfield to his wife, Anna Paine Thornton Fairfield, and their children during Fairfield's service away from home and correspondence to Fairfield in his official capacities.
A Democrat, John Fairfield served the state of Maine as a representative in Congress, governor, and senator. During these periods Fairfield maintained a faithful correspondence with his family in Saco, Maine, and discussed personal and family affairs, described his colleagues and other prominent personages, commented on political developments, depicted social functions, and reported news of the day.
Following the death in a duel in 1838 of Jonathan Cilley, a fellow congressman from Maine, Fairfield called for an investigation of the affair. His stand in this matter precipitated the demise of dueling in Congress and brought Fairfield widespread popularity.
In 1839, while Fairfield was governor, hostilities erupted between Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick over the northeastern boundary, resulting in the "Aroostook War." As belligerency subsided, Fairfield played a leading role in arriving at a negotiated settlement of the dispute between the United States and Great Britain which was ultimately resolved by the Webster-Ashburton Treaty in 1842.
As his career progressed, Fairfield became increasingly involved in party politics. When President James K. Polk's cabinet was being formed, Fairfield was an unsuccessful contender for the post of secretary of the navy. Fairfield was influential in many political appointments and served as chairman of the Senate Committee on Naval Affairs.
Prominent correspondents in the collection include Hugh J. Anderson, Nathan Clifford, Stephen A. Emery, Amos Nourse, Ether Shepley, Catharine Read Williams, and Reuel Williams. Approximately half of the personal correspondence has been published in
Catalog Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/mm80020255
Available on microfilm. Shelf no. 19,264