Since 1971, The Papers of Andrew Jackson project has been dedicated to transcribing and publishing Old Hickory’s entire written record. A worldwide search has gathered copies of every known surviving Jackson document, including letters he wrote and received, official and military papers, presidential addresses, drafts, memoranda, legal papers and financial records.
Now a fully searchable and annotated database of these documents is available online. The Papers of Andrew Jackson Digital Edition joins a short list of prestigious editorial projects available within The American Founding Era Collection, a digital publication of the University of Virginia Press.
“Andrew Jackson is a centrally important figure in American history, and a highly controversial one, too. Our aim at the project has always been to put his full record before the public, so that citizens can read and decide for themselves,” said Daniel Feller, UT professor of history and the editor and director of The Papers of Andrew Jackson. “Having that record now available at the touch of a button is, for us, a wish come true.”
So far UT Press has published nine volumes of “The Papers of Andrew Jackson,” covering 1770 through 1831. Feller and his colleagues are currently assembling volume 10. UT Press has signed an agreement with the University of Virginia Press that makes the entire series available to scholars around the world. New volumes will be added after they are published.
The American Founding Era platform allows users to search the full edition, to limit searches to individual volumes or to search across all the editions in the collection, including the papers of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams and other major figures of the nation’s early history.
Thanks to a subscription by the UT Libraries, the faculty, students, and staff of UT Knoxville have access to the entire American Founding Era Collection. Members of the public may use the American Founding Era Collection on site at the John C. Hodges Library.
—
CONTACTS:
Daniel Feller, editor and director, The Papers of Andrew Jackson (865-974-0660, dfeller@utk.edu)
Anne Bridges, history librarian, UT Libraries (865-974-0017, abridges@utk.edu)
Karen Dunlap, UT media relations (865-974-2225, kdunlap6@utk.edu)