Robert Raymond Reid diary, 1833-1835.

Creator: Reid, Robert Raymond, 1789-1841.
Collection number: 1263
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Abstract: After a political and judicial career in Georgia, Robert Raymond Reid (1789-1841) was appointed judge of the Superior Court in the Eastern District of Florida in 1832. He was a member of the Florida Constitutional Convention of 1838 and was territorial governor from 1839 to 1841. Two volumes, 31 January 1833-10 October 1833 and 22 January 1835- 25 September 1835, in which Reid recorded his opinions on the nullification controversy, abolitionism, and the black population of the South, both free and enslaved. The journal also gave Reid the opportunity to express, in a tone apparently influenced by his readings of Byron, whom he mentions, his deep feelings of melancholy. Similarly, theological speculations reveal his struggle for faith. The legal communities in St. Augustine and Tallahassee, an epidemic in the former town, Reid’s repeated, unsuccessful attempts to adhere to a daily schedule, and the character of John C. Calhoun, Andrew Jackson, and especially John Randolph, are also addressed.

Repository: Southern Historical Collection

Collection Highlights: Reid recorded his opinions on various topics including abolitionism and the southern black population, both free and slave. Microfilm only.