Brief guide to manuscripts collections| William L. Clements Library The University of Michigan Lewis Cass Papers |
Lewis Cass' long public career spanned the period from the War of 1812 to the Civil War. Born in Exeter, N.H., he emigrated to the Northwest Territory in 1801, settling near Zanesville, Ohio. He studied law, was admitted to the bar, and, at the young age of 24, was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives. His strong support for Thomas Jefferson led to his appointment as United States marshal for the district of Ohio. At the outbreak of the War of 1812 he enlisted in the army. As a Colonel of the 3rd Ohio Infantry under General William Hull, he was present when Detroit was surrendered, and later wrote a report critical of Hull's performance and testified at the court martial proceedings. He was brevetted brigadier general March 20, 1813, and contributed substantially to the American victory in the battle of the Thames the following year.
Cass rode his military reputation to political fame, serving as the military and civil governor of Michigan Territory between 1813 and 1831. During this time and later as Andrew Jackson's Secretary of War, Cass became deeply involved in formulating a government policy toward Native Americans, and was a central figure in promoting removal as a general policy. He was appointed United States envoy to France in 1836, but his outspoken Anglophobia led to disagreement with Secretary of State Daniel Webster and prompted his resignation in 1842. Cass was elected Senator from Michigan in 1845 and again in 1851, and was an unsuccessful candidate for president on the Democratic ticket in 1848. As a Senator, Cass had approved of the Compromise of 1850, but after joining the Buchanan cabinet as Secretary of State and as disunion threatened, he became convinced that strong measures were necessary. He resigned from the cabinet when Buchanan refused to fortify federal garrisons.
Political correspondence of Lewis Cass, American soldier, diplomat, statesman.
This collection contains public correspondence relating to Cass' entire career. Twelve items deal with his experience in the War of 1812 and the Hull controversy; 55 items from his territorial governorship contain excellent Indian material; there is full political correspondence, 1831-1857, and fewer letters for his years as secretary of state. The collection also contains a number of memoranda and literary manuscripts.
Gift of Lewis Cass Ledyard and Roscoe O. Bonisteel, 1948 and 1969
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