A Guide to the William Wilberforce Mann Papers, 1825-1897 Mann, William Wilberforce, 1825-1897, Papers of 26673

A Guide to the William Wilberforce Mann Papers, 1825-1897

A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Accession Number 26673


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© 2002 By the Library of Virginia.

Funding: Web version of the finding aid funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Processed by: Renee M. Savits

Repository
Library of Virginia
Accession number
26673
Title
William Wilberforce Mann Papers, 1825-1897
Physical Characteristics
3.6 cubic feet (8 boxes) and 1 oversize box
Physical Location
Personal Papers Collection, Acc. 26673
Language
English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

William Wilberforce Mann. Papers, 1825-1897. Accession 26673, Personal Papers Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Grace Arents, 1923-1981.

Biographical/Historical Information

William Wilberforce Mann, author, editor, and journalist, was born March 1809 in New England and grew up in Augusta, Georgia. Mann wrote for the GEORGIA COURIER, from 1825-1832, the GEORGIA CONSTITUTIONALIST, 1832, and was editor of THE PEOPLE'S PRESS, 1838. In 1846 Mann moved to Paris, France and began his career as the Parisian correspondent for the CHARLESTON COURIER (1846-1848), NEW YORK COURIER AND ENQUIRER (1848- 1853), SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER (1848), NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER (1850-1856), and SOUTHERN ECLECTIC (1853). While in Paris, Mann also translated the United States Constitution and letters of George Washington's into French. Mann returned to Georgia in 1856 and moved to New York in 1860, where he worked for the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS. In 1871 he published two books on his new metric measurement system, the Linn-base system, entitled A NEW SYSTEM OF MEASURES, WEIGHTS, AND MONEY; ENTITLED THE LINN-BASE DECIMAL SYSTEM and A NEW DECIMAL METRICAL SYSTEM FOUNDED ON THE EARTH'S POLAR DIAMETER. Mann died in New York, NY on 20 Feb. 1885.

Scope and Content Information

Papers, 1825-1897, of William Wilberforce Mann of Georgia, documenting his career as author, editor, and journalist in Georgia, New York, and France. The collection is arranged alphabetically by folder title and includes accounts, clippings, correspondence, literary manuscripts, poems, scrapbooks, and speeches.

The main focus of the collection are twenty-two scrapbooks containing the published copies of Mann's literary contributions to newspapers and magazines, in addition to clippings relevant to political topics of the day. Topics include issues of American nationalism and sectionalism during the 19th century, constitutional debates on taxes and tariffs, woolen bill of 1827, the U.S. national bank, 1856 presidential election, Civil War, tobacco trade and slavery, European politics, society, and government.

Volume 1-10 contain articles written while Mann lived in Paris, France, and relate political and social issues in Europe, especially France, from 1848-1856, including European politics and government, society life and theatre, and the French revolution of 1848; Volumes 11-12 consist of editorials, published mainly in the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, by Mann on topics relating to the Civil War, abolitionism, states' rights, the draft, President Lincoln, and reconstruction. Mann was a Southern sympathizer and his editorials reflected his stance. The article, "What are we coming to, or the veil removed," written in February 1863, reiterated Mann's beliefs in states rights and against Northern aggression; Volumes 13-18 and 22 contain a variety of articles regarding miscellaneous political issues, including secession and the New Orleans Riot of July 1866; Volume 19 includes copies of the magazine THE KNICKERBOCKER, 1833-1834; Volume 20 includes miscellaneous notes by Mann; and Volume 21 contains editorials by Mann in the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, 1871. All of the scrapbooks were arranged and indexed by Mann.

Also included are accounts for Maria Mann's, William's daughter, board and tuition at the Sacred Heart School (Manhattan, NY); correspondence between Mann and Maria, pertaining to her writing skills and education; and correspondence to Mann from Mary Bryan, a fellow writer. Mann served as Bryan's mentor and offered critiques of her work. These letters are transcribed and published in A GEORGIA AUTHORESS WRITES HER EDITOR: MRS. MARY E. BRYAN TO W.W. MANN (1860), edited by James S. Patty. The collection also includes poems written by Mann, biographical materials, and a copy of a speech regarding tariffs and sectionalism Mann gave before the Philological Society, 8 Jan. 1828.

The literary manuscripts include Mann's rough notes, calculations, final drafts, and proof sheets for two publications on his unique metric measurement system, based on the "linn", a fraction of the length of the polar axis of the Earth. They are entitled, A NEW SYSTEM OF MEASURES, WEIGHTS, AND MONEY; ENTITLED THE LINN-BASE DECIMAL SYSTEM; AND DESIGNED FOR THE ADOPTION OF ALL CIVILIZED NATIONS (1871), and A NEW DECIMAL METRICAL SYSTEM FOUNDED ON THE EARTH'S POLAR DIAMETER AND DESIGNED FOR ADOPTION BY ALL CIVILIZED NATIONS, AS THE ONE COMMON SYSTEM (1872).

Arrangement

This collection has been arranged alphabetically by folder title, with scrapbook volumes arranged at the end.

Contents List

Box-folder: Box 1
Folder 1
Accounts, Alex T. Stewart & Co. (NY), 1860-1873
Box-folder: Box 1
Folder 2
Accounts, Sacred Heart school (NY), 1868-1870
Box-folder: Box 1
Folder 3
Biographical materials, 1885
Box-folder: Box 1
Folder 4
Clippings, 1851-1897
Box-folder: Box 1
Folder 5
Clippings, nd
Box-folder: Box 1
Folder 6
Correspondence, Guieu family, 1839-1857
Box-folder: Box 1
Folder 7
Correspondence, William Mann, Incoming, Mary Bryan, 1860
Box-folder: Box 1
Folder 8
Correspondence, Incoming, Maria Mann, 1857-1863
Box-folder: Box 1
Folder 9
Correspondence, Outgoing, Maria Mann, 1865-1866
Box-folder: Box 1
Folder 10
Correspondence, Miscellaneous, 1856-1874
Box-folder: Box 1
Folder 11
Envelopes, 1859-1878
Box-folder: Box 1
Folder 12
Literary manuscripts, A new system of measures, weights, and money: entitled the Linn-base decimal system, Drafts, 1871
Box-folder: Box 1
Folder 13
Literary manuscripts, A new system of measures, weights, and money: entitled the Linn-base decimal system, Notes and calculations, 1853-1871
Box-folder: Box 1
Folder 14
Literary manuscripts, A new system of measures, weights, and money: entitled the Linn-base decimal system, Printers proof, 1871
Box-folder: Box 1
Folder 15
Literary manuscripts, A new decimal metrical system founded on the earth's polar diameter, Drafts, 1871-1872
Box-folder: Box 1
Folder 16
Literary manuscripts, A new decimal metrical system founded on the earth's polar diameter, Notes and calculations, 1872
Box-folder: Box 1
Folder 17
Literary manuscripts, A new decimal metrical system founded on the earth's polar diameter, Printers proof, 1872
Box-folder: Box 1
Folder 18
Miscellaneous, nd
Box-folder: Box 1
Folder 19
Poems, 1831-1868
Box-folder: Box 2
Folder 1
Scrapbooks, Volume 1, Articles by Mann: Misc., 1825-1849
Box-folder: Box 2
Folder 2
Scrapbooks, Volume 2, Articles by Mann: Misc., 1848-1855
Box-folder: Box 2
Folder 3
Scrapbooks, Volume 3, Articles by Mann in: Charleston Courier, New York Courier, Southern Eclectic, 1846-1853
Box-folder: Box 3
Folder 1
Scrapbooks, Volume 4, Articles by Mann in: New York Courier, New York Daily News, 1848-1864
Box-folder: Box 3
Folder 2
Scrapbooks, Volume 5, Articles by Mann in: New York Courier, 1850-1852
Box-folder: Box 3
Folder 3
Scrapbooks, Volume 6, Articles by Mann in: New York Courier, Southern Literary Messenger, 1848-1852
Box-folder: Box 4
Folder 1
Scrapbooks, Volume 7, Articles by Mann in: National Intelligencer, 1850-1851
Box-folder: Box 4
Folder 2
Scrapbooks, Volume 8, Articles by Mann in: National Intelligencer, 1852
Box-folder: Box 5
Folder 1
Scrapbooks, Volume 9, Articles by Mann in: National Intelligencer, 1853-1854
Box-folder: Box 5
Folder 2
Scrapbooks, Volume 10, Articles by Mann in: National Intelligencer, 1854-1856
Box-folder: Box 5
Folder 3
Scrapbooks, Volume 11, Articles by Mann in: New York Daily News, 1863
Box-folder: Box 6
Folder 1
Scrapbooks, Volume 12, Editorial by Mann in: Southern Field & Fireside, 1859-1860
Box-folder: Box 6
Folder 2
Scrapbooks, Volume 13, Misc. articles on politics, 1827-1851
Box-folder: Box 6
Folder 3
Scrapbooks, Volume 14, Misc. articles on politics, 1844-1861
Box-folder: Box 7
Folder 1
Scrapbooks, Volume 15, Misc. articles on politics, 1844-1861
Box-folder: Box 7
Folder 2
Scrapbooks, Volume 16, Misc. articles on politics, 1849-1851
Box-folder: Box 7
Folder 3
Scrapbooks, Volume 17, Misc. articles on secession, 1861
Box-folder: Box 7
Folder 4
Scrapbooks, Volume 18, Misc. articles on politics, 1861
Box-folder: Box 8
Folder 1
Scrapbooks, Volume 19, The Knickerbocker, 1833-1834
Box-folder: Box 8
Folder 2
Scrapbooks, Volume 20, Misc. notes by Mann, 1848-1856
Box-folder: Box 8
Folder 3
Scrapbooks, Volume 21, Articles by Mann in: New York Daily News, 1871
Box-folder: Box 8
Folder 4
Scrapbooks, Volume 22, New Orleans Riot, 1866
Box-folder: Box 8
Folder 5
Speeches, 1838
Box-folder: Box 9
Folder 1
Oversize clippings, 1851-1897