Correspondence

Correspondence is one of the most common types of primary sources. It is usually found within an archives or a manuscript collection. Researchers often use correspondence to understand personal accounts of events, discover with whom an individual corresponded, study the language and manner in which a letter was written, understand the functioning of an organization, and for many other cultural, historical, and personal purposes. In evaluating the credibility of correspondence, the researcher should determine the authenticity of the document, and whether the author was a reliable eyewitness or participant.

Letter from Representative Benjamin Chew Howard to Secretary of the Navy John Branch, regarding the Navy candidacy of brothers Charles and George Frick, 1830.

Papers of Charles Lanman, Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries

Email from Lauren Brown, archivist for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC), concerning a donation to the archives at the University of Maryland, 2005-2006.

Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries