Letter from Senator James M. Mason to U.S. Secretary of State William Marcy

Online content

Some materials from this collection are available online.
Show only online content

Access and use

Location of collection:
George Mason University
2400 Fenwick Library
Special Collections Research Center
Fenwick Library MS2FL
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Mieko Palazzo
Phone: (703) 993-2220
Fax: (703) 993-2669
Restrictions:

There are no access restrictions.

Terms of access:

Public Domain. There are no known restrictions.

Preferred citation:

Letter from Senator James M. Mason to U.S. Secretary of State William Marcy, C0367, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Summary

Extent:
0.01 Linear Feet 1 folder
Creator:
Mason, J. M. (James Murray), 1798-1871
Abstract:
Letter from Senator James M. Mason to U.S. Secretary of State William Marcy, written August 14, 1855.
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

Letter from Senator James M. Mason to U.S. Secretary of State William Marcy, C0367, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Background

Scope and content:

Letter from Senator James M. Mason to U.S. Secretary of State William Marcy, written August 14, 1855. The bulk of the letter reads as follows: "Will the Secretary of State oblige me, by causing the [illegible] letters to Mr. Mason [ampersand] Mr. Buchanan, to be sent with next mails for his departure."

Biographical / historical:

James Murray Mason, born on November 3, 1798, was a U.S. Senator, representing Virginia from 1847 - 1861. Mason vehemently supported southern states' interests, introducing the Fugitive Slave Act on January 4, 1850, which eventually was passed. Upon the advent of the Civil War, he joined the Confederacy, and was eventually expelled from the Senate. Mason was a key player in the Trent Affair, in which the U.S. arrested him and former Senator John Slidell for acting as diplomats to Europe from the Confederacy. After his release from prison, he continued to represent the Confederacy until its downfall, and then resided in Canada until 1868. He then returned to Virginia, passing away April 28, 1871.

Acquisition information:
The donor is unknown.
Processing information:

Reprocessing completed by Amanda Brent in July 2019. EAD markup completed by Amanda Brent in July 2019.

Arrangement:

This is a single item collection.

Physical location:
R 72, C 3, S 4
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Indexed terms

Subjects:
Correspondence
Names:
United States. Congress. Senate