Collecting pieces of Minnesota's past for the future
About
The Minnesota Historical Society preserves and makes available a wide range of materials chronicling Minnesota's history and culture. The goals of the Collections Department are to collect and preserve; provide access and interpretation; and engage in education and outreach. This blog is a tool to share these stories and let people know what is happening in the department.
National Handwriting Day
Today is National Handwriting Day!
As we know, primary sources are the lifeblood of historical research, and many of these primary sources are handwritten.
This is a letter from Lawrence Taliaferro to Alexis Bailly, written on March 2, 1829.
Taliaferro (U.S. Indian Agent to the Dakota) wrote in response to a letter Alexis Bailly sent Taliaferro on the same day. Taliaferro addresses Bailly's concerns about unfair trading practices and assures Bailly that he treats all of the fur traders in the area equally.
See the letter and its transcription here: http://collections.mnhs.org/cms/display?irn=10614509&return=brand%3Dcms%26q%3Dhandwriting
Learn more about Lawrence Taliaferro here: https://www.mnopedia.org/person/taliaferro-lawrence-1794-1871