Letter written by a social reformer named Sarah from Washington, D.C.
date: label: Date
content: April 17, 1865
name: label: Written by
content: Unidentified Woman or Women
label: Received by
content: Unidentified
label: Subject of
content: President Abraham Lincoln, American, 1809 - 1865
notes: label: Description
content: A letter written on April 17, 1865, from Washington, D.C., signed by "Sarah" and addressed to "My dear friend." Sarah thanks her friend and the friend's "Society" for sending clothing and asks for future donations of sheeting or cloth to make sheets and pillows. These items are being sold to newly emancipated people in and around the city. Sarah speaks condescendingly of African American people, noting "No race ever came up faster in the march of civilization." She notes that the plain donated clothing is more appreciated than fancy goods, and hopes that new bedding supplies will encourage greater cleanliness. Sarah also speaks about the recent assassination of Abraham Lincoln, her thoughts on how it will impact the post-war politics, and the response of mourning among the African American population. The letter is written in black ink on four (4) pages of a single bi-folded sheet of ruled paper.
place: label: Place made
content: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Correspondence
label: Topic
content: Emancipation
label: Topic
content: Local and regional
label: Topic
content: Race relations
label: Topic
content: Social life and customs
label: Topic
content: Social reform
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, Civil War, 1861-1865
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: Liljenquist Family Collection
label: Classification
content: Slavery and Freedom Objects
label: Classification
content: Documents and Manuscripts
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift from the Liljenquist Family Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2016.166.40
objectType: label: Type
content: letters (correspondence)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: ink on paper
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (unfolded): 8 × 9 3/4 in. (20.3 × 24.8 cm)