Beschreibung:

4 items. These four letters, spanning from November 29, 1857, to September 20, 1858, tell of the relationship of Robert Anderson (1781-1859), prominent Virginia landowner and Whig politician, and his slave daughter Haidee. The first letter is from Anderson, addressed to Haidee, whom he had sent to an abolitionist school in Perth Amboy, NJ. The Eagleswood School was run by famous abolitionist couple Rev. Theodore Weld and his wife, Angelina Grimke Weld. They taught all students, regardless of race or sex. In this affectionate letter, Anderson tells Haidee to be a good girl, learn your books, be attentive to all your duties... Let your conduct be such as to induce every body to be kind to, and to love you. Anderson was glad to hear that Haidee was happy, and wanted her to write regularly. He wanted her to tell him who her classmates were, who their parents were, and where they lived. In the letter, he concludes your brothers... as well as your mother and grandmother are quite hearty. The slave children recited their lessons to Anderson every night, ...at which times we always think of and speak about you. And now dear Haidee I bid you farewell for the present. / Your affectionate Guardian, RoA. The second letter is dated May 30,1858, from Anderson, addressed to Rev. Weld. He notified them that Haidee (who was back home in Yorktown, VA) would not be returning to Eagleswood School. Much as Haidee was delighted with her stay at Eagleswood, yet she is unwilling to leave her relations & return there. Indeed, we all felt her absence as a great deprivation. Anderson sent a check by messenger, and asked Weld to pack up any books and belongings Haidee left at school. After giving his respects, he added, You will gratify me much by saying whether Haidee’s slavery position was known to all at Eagleswood, or to Mrs. W. and yourself only. The explosive reply to Anderson is dated June 16th, 1858, six months before Anderson’s death. (He had been sick for many months.) The letter was written by Mrs. Angelina Grimke Weld (1805-1879), a famous female abolitionist and women's rights advocate of the early 19th century. In part: First let me answer your question as to whether Haidee’s Slavery condition was known here or not. It was not known, altho’ her complexion betrayed the fact that she was of colored origin, & as Masters are frequently the Fathers of their slaves, I think it was strongly suspected. But as my husband & myself evaded inquiries from the Scholars [students], none of them ever knew what her condition was. Now dear Sir will you suffer the word of exhortation once more from one who feels a deep interest in your whole family? I entreat you as you value the interests of her who has ever been faithful and kind to you, of her who is the mother of your children, to see to it that they are all removed out of a slave State as soon as possible. Don’t be satisfied with making a will to emancipate the fruit of your own body, & leaving to them a comfortable living in dollars & cents, after your spirit has passed into another sphere of existence, but be thou the noble almoner of thy own bounty while living in the body, & resolve to give thy heart no rest until thou hast thyself brought them out of the land of bondage & sat their feet upon the rock of freedom. Oh let me urge upon you the necessity & the duty of raising all the flickering energies of your being to do for them now, at once, what you wish you had done when you are called to bid them the last, last farewell. We do not wonder you should wish to keep Haidee with you - your love for her is beautiful to us. All that we crave from you is a father’s forecast, a father’s bounty, a father’s wise & speedy provision for all your children’s wants, physically, intellectually and spiritually - then yours will be a Father’s blessing. The last letter, by Anderson, is dated September 20,1858, and addressed to Rev. John H. Allen, a Massachusetts abolitionist: Va York Town 20th September 1858 Dear Sir