Manasseh Cutler Papers
About the Collection
The Manasseh Cutler papers include correspondence, lists of plants and animals, botanical notebooks, a diary, and sermons. Much of his writings and correspondence relate to natural history and botanical research, including species identification, medicinal uses of plants, and specimen collecting. The sermons range from 1774 to 1815. Included in the collection is a copy of Cutler’s diary for the year 1785. The Manasseh Cutler papers digital collection represents the bulk of the physical collection, though some materials remain available only in their original format.
Learn more about the collection by reading its collection finding aid.
About Manasseh Cutler
Manasseh Cutler (1742–1823) was a minister, naturalist, and politician whose work spanned religion, science, and public affairs in the early United States. Born in Connecticut and educated at Yale, he became pastor of Ipswich Hamlet (now Hamilton, Mass.) in 1771, and remained in that role for most of his life. During the American Revolution, he served as an army chaplain and studied medicine, which sparked a lifelong interest in botany. Cutler is best known for his involvement in the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 and in efforts to organize settlement in the Northwest Territory, including securing land for the institution that became Ohio University. His scientific pursuits led to his election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1781, and he later served in the Massachusetts legislature and the U.S. Congress from 1800 to 1804.
Preferred Collection Citation
Manasseh Cutler papers, MSS009, Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections, Ohio University Libraries.
Future Additions
No future additions are planned.
Related Collections
Related collections include the Ohio Land Company papers, MSS451. See additional items from the Mahn Center's online manuscript collections.
Access at Alden
The physical collection is held by, and can be viewed at, the Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections, on the 5th floor of Alden Library.
Access Online
Browse and search the collection in CONTENTdm.
Collection Contact
Use the Mahn Center Research Request Form to submit a question to Manuscripts Archivist Greta Suiter.
Policy
See the Digital Archival Collections Materials Selection and Rights policy.
Rights Statement
These materials are in the public domain in the United States; they are not subject to any copyright protections.
More information at rightsstatements.org