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occos1792.sgm
A Guide to the Samson Occom Papers at the Connecticut
Historical Society
Compiled by NHPRC Project Staff
EAD conversion sponsored by grant funding from the National Historical Publications and
Records Commission. Grant # 98-101
Connecticut Historical Society,
November 1998
1 Elizabeth Street Hartford, CT 06105
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| Creator: | |
Samson Occom
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| Title: | |
Samson Occom Papers
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| Date: | |
1727-1808
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| Abstract: | |
Collection consists correspondence, a diary and sermons,
as well as some papers of Joseph Johnson.
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| Extent: | |
1 box 26 folders; 236 items
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| Location: | |
Manuscript stacks
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An index of 86 catalog cards is available to aid access
to this collection. Access is through writer, recipient and date. The card catalog is located in the library reading room. The reader is also directed to the Print Room and Museum for non-documentary materials.
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Collection consists of correspondence to and from Samson Occom, a diary and a
donation book from his trip to Great Britain. There are several sermons and speeches, both by
Occom and his son-in-law, Joseph Johnson, as well as some papers of the Mohegan tribe, and
letters and household accounts of Samson's wife, Mary.
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Materials are organized into seven series, and four sub-series, based on
form and creator. |
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Correspondence
CorrespondenceHousehold AccountsCorrespondenceSpeeches
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Sermons
CorrespondenceHousehold AccountsCorrespondenceSpeeches
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Diary
CorrespondenceHousehold AccountsCorrespondenceSpeeches
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Donation Book
CorrespondenceHousehold AccountsCorrespondenceSpeeches
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Mohegan Tribal Records
CorrespondenceHousehold AccountsCorrespondenceSpeeches
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Mary
Occom Papers
CorrespondenceHousehold AccountsCorrespondenceSpeeches
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Joseph Johnson Papers
CorrespondenceHousehold AccountsCorrespondenceSpeeches
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Materials in this collection are arranged chronologically in each series to compliment access points
from the card catalog.
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Samson Occom of the Mohegan tribe was born in 1723 at Mohegan, Connecticut. At age sixteen he was deeply
influenced by the preaching of the Reverend James Davenport, an
evangelist of the "Great Awakening." Occom subsequently adopted the
Christian religion, and from 1743 until 1747 was a pupil of the Reverend Eleazar Wheelock of Lebanon, Connecticut.
In 1749 Occom became schoolmaster and minister to the Montauk
tribe on eastern Long Island. He was supported in this work
by the London Society for the Propagation of the Gospel and received a salary of
£20 per annum. He also worked as cooper, fisherman, farmer and bookbinder to supplement this
income.
Occom's evangelizing received a great deal of attention, and despite his lack of
formal theological training-- he had not gone to college on account of his poor eyesight--; he was
ordained by the Presbytery of Long Island in 1759. In 1761 and
again in 1763 Occom went to preach among the Oneida tribe in New York under the instruction
of Eleazar Wheelock. In 1764 he returned with his wife,
Mary, from Long Island to settle in Mohegan. At the end of 1765 he and the Reverend Nathaniel
Whitaker of Norwich, Connecticut undertook a journey to
England to raise funds for Wheelock's Indian Charity School. By their return to the Connecticut Colony in 1768 the
party, with the backing of George Whitefield and the Second
Earl of Dartmouth, had secured £12, 000 for the new school.
Occom was encouraged by Wheelock to undertake missionary
work among the Iroquois, but after a disagreement over Wheelock's plan to use
the Indian Charity School funds to establish what was to become Dartmouth College, Occom preached alone, itinerant, and
poor among the various tribes of New England. In 1773Occom formed a plan to establish a land grant from the Oneida to set aside a tract of land for American Indian habitation. Interrupted by the
Revolutionary Wars, Brothertown was formally established in 1785. Occom and his family later moved from his native Connecticut to live in Brothertown, where, for the remainder of his
life, he would serve as as minister and advisor.
Samson Occom was married to Mary Fowler of the Monatauk tribe native to Long Island with whom he had ten children. He died in Brothertown, New York on July 14, 1792.
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| Title: | |
Series 1: Correspondence
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| Date: | |
1727-1792
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| Extent: | |
13 folders; 166 items
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| Location: | |
OCCOS/1792 -- I.
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| Abstract: | |
Consists of letters to and from Samson Occom.
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Folder I.A
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Archive control file.
Undated
(5 items)
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Folder I.1
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Letters to, Samson Occom and letters
concerning American Indian affairs.
1727-1760
(5 items)
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Folder I.2
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Correspondence, primarily to Samson Occom.
1761-1765
(14 items)
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Folder I.3
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Correspondence, primarily to Samson
Occom.
1766
(18 items)
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Folder I.4
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Correspondence, primarily to Samson Occom.
1795-1799
(22 items)
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Folder I.5
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Correspondence, primarily to Samson
Occom.
1769-1770
(10 items)
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Folder I.6
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Correspondence, primarily to Samson Occom.
1771-1772
(15 items)
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Folder I.7
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Correspondence, primarily to Samson
Occom.
1773
(22 items)
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Folder I.8
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Correspondence, primarily to Samson Occom.
1774-1775
(9 items)
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Folder I.9
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Correspondence to and from Samson Occom.
1776-1780
(15 items)
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Folder I.10
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Correspondence to and from Samson
Occom. List of deaths in Mohegan in 1784
1781-1785
(10
items)
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Folder I.11
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Correspondence to and from Samson Occom.
Letter from Samson and Mary to their son Benoni.
1786-1790
(10 items)
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Folder I.12
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Correspondence to and from Samson Occom.
1791-1792
(4 items)
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Folder I.13
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Correspondence to and from Samson Occom. Petitions to Governor of New York.
[before 1792]
(12 items)
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| Title: | |
Series 2: Sermons
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| Date: | |
1753-1754
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| Extent: | |
6 folders; 49 items
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| Location: | |
OCCOS/1792 -- I.
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| Abstract: | |
Consists of sermons believed to be written by Samson
Occom; some are by his son-in-law, Joseph Johnson.
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Folder I.21
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Sermons.
1753-1760
(3 items)
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Folder I.22
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Sermons.
1772-1774
(6 items)
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Folder I.23
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Joseph Johnson Sermons.
1805-1807
(5 items)
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Folder I.24
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Sermons
17--?
(12 items)
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Folder I.25
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Sermons.
17--?
(12 items)
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Folder I.26
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Sermons.
17--?
(6 items)
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| Title: | |
Series 3: Diary
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| Date: | |
1787
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| Extent: | |
1 folder; 1 item
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| Location: | |
OCCOS/1792 -- I.
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| Abstract: | |
Consists of Samson Occom's diary for the year 1787.
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Folder I.14
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Diary.
1787
(1 item)
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| Title: | |
Series 4: Donation Book
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| Date: | |
1766-1767
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| Extent: | |
1 folder; 1 item
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| Location: | |
OCCOS/1792 -- I.
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| Abstract: | |
Consists of a record of donations from Samson Occom's trip to England to
gather funds for Wheelock's Indian Charity School.
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Folder I.15
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Donation book.
1766-1767
(1
item)
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| Title: | |
Series 5: Mohegan Tribal Records
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| Date: | |
1770-1778
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| Extent: | |
1 folder; 1 item
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| Location: | |
OCCOS/1792
-- I.
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Consists of agreements and minutes of meetings of the heads of the tribe
called to consult on Mohegan affairs.
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Folder I.16
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Mohegan records: agreements and minutes.
1766
(1 item)
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| Title: | |
Series 6: Mary Occom Papers
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| Date: | |
1766-1808
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| Extent: | |
2 folders; 3 items
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| Location: | |
OCCOS/1792 -- I.
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| Abstract: | |
Consists of a letter to Mary Occom form D. Fowler, and a
list of household purchases.
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| Title: | |
Sub-series 6.i:
Correspondence
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| Date: | |
1766
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| Extent: | |
2 folders; 3 items
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OCCOS/1792 -- I.
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Consists of a letter to Mary Occom from D.
Fowler
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Folder I.17
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Letter to Mary
Occom from D. Fowler.
1766
(1 item)
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| Title: | |
Sub-series 6.ii:
Household Accounts
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| Date: | |
1808
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1 folder; 2 item
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OCCOS/1792 -- I.
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Consists of list of household
purchases for 1808.
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Folder I.18
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List
of household purchases.
1766
(1 item)
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| Title: | |
Series 7: Joseph Johnson
Papers
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| Date: | |
1773-1776
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| Extent: | |
2 folders; 15 items
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| Location: | |
OCCOS/1792 -- I.
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| Abstract: | |
Consists of correspondence to, from and
concerning Joseph Johnson; petitions to the Provincial Congress of the Colony of New York and
the people of Albany, NY; and speeches and sermons.
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| Title: | |
Sub-series 7.i:
Correspondence
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| Date: | |
1773-1776
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1 folder; 12 items
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| Location: | |
OCCOS/1792 -- I.
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| Abstract: | |
Consists of correspondence to and
from Joseph Johnson. Also contains a petition to the people of Albany, NY, and the Provincial
Congress of New York.
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Folder I.19
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Correspondence and petitions.
1773-1776
(12 items)
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| Title: | |
Sub-series 7.ii: Speeches
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| Date: | |
1774
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1 folder; 12 items
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OCCOS/1792 -- I.
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Consists of A speech to the Indians., and
petitions to the people of Schenectady and New Haven to forgo drinking liquor.
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Folder I.20
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Speeches
1774
(3 items)
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Access Restrictions
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There are no restrictions
on access to the collection.
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Use Restrictions
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Use of the material requires compliance with the Connecticut Historical Society's
Library Regulations.
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Preferred Citation
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"Item," the
Samson Occom Papers (US/CTH/OCCOS/1792 -- box #. Folder #) at the Connecticut Historical
Society.
Example: "Donation book," the Samson Occom Papers
(US/CTH/OCCOS/1792 -- I.15) at the Connecticut Historical Society.
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Processing Details
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Collection was physically processed by
Marilyn Paul-Lewis under an NHPRC grant (#89-003) in November, 1998.
Finding aid
and EAD instance was compiled by Stephen Yearl in November, 1998.
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Accruals
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The collection is open, but additional material is not
expected.
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