David Outlaw papers, 1847-1855; 1866.

Creator: Outlaw, David, 1806-1868.
Collection number: 1534
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Abstract: Whig congressman from Bertie County, N.C. Chiefly correspondence of Outlaw to his wife while he was a member of Congress, 1847-1853. Subjects discussed are state and national politics, including the Mexican War, the slavery question, sectionalism, the Wilmot Proviso, the Missouri Compromise, and the Compromise of 1850; social life in Washington, D.C.; and Outlaw’s family and his farm in Bertie County, near Windsor, N.C. In his absence from home, Outlaw’s farm was managed by one of his slaves. Also included are a few letters from Outlaw’s wife and daughter and genealogical material on the Outlaw and Anderson families of Tennessee (typed transcriptions).

Repository: Southern Historical Collection

Collection Highlights: Chiefly letters of Outlaw, a Bertie County Whig, North Carolina, written to his wife while he was a member of Congress (1847-1853). During his absences Outlaw’s farm was run by his slave, George. Letters include directions for the hiring-out of slaves (1847) in Folder 1; discussions of the institution of slavery (1849- 1850) in Folders 6-11; and the abolition of the slave trade in the District of Columbia (1849) in Folder 6.

Some material in this collection has been digitized and is available online. Click here to link to the finding aid for this collection and to access the digitized material.