Brief guide to manuscripts collections| William L. Clements Library The University of Michigan Tobias Lear Papers |
Tobias Lear, son of a wealthy Portsmouth, N.H., shipmaster, graduated from Harvard in 1783. Two years later he was engaged as private secretary to George Washington and remained a close associate until Washington's death. In 1801 Lear was made consul at Santo Domingo and the following year, consul general at Algiers. Lear succeeded in establishing peaceful relations with Morocco, Tunis, and Algeria. He negotiated a treaty ending the Tripolitan War (1801-1805), which, although favorable to the United States, required payment of ransom for Americans held prisoner. Lear continued in his post until the outbreak of the War of 1812. However, the political controversy surrounding the Tripolitan treaty ended his diplomatic career. He took an accountant's position in the War Department, and in 1814 was commissioned to ratify an exchange of prisoners. Two years later Lear committed suicide.
Papers of Tobias Lear, consular officer, private secretary to George Washington.
This collection contains one of the contemporary manuscript account which Lear wrote describing the death of George Washington. The correspondence relates primarily to his career as consul general in Algiers. In a series of 35 letters to his wife, Frances Dandridge Henley Lear, and in 2 short journals, he describes negotiations with the Barbary States. Material in 1814 relates to the prisoner exchange; there are 19 letters dealing with settlement of War of 1812 officers' accounts.
Purchased, 1963-1965
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