Research Guides: Environmental History materials in Haverford Special Collections: Voyages and Travels

Voyages and Travels

Travel narratives, descriptions of voyages, and books and manuscripts written by explorers are often excellent sources of information on the environment, natural landscape, flora, and fauna of an area, as well as giving insight into how the traveler him- or herself views the world.

Manuscript Travel Narratives

Gummere-Mott papers, 1715-1919
Includes the diary of Richard Mott during his travels in New York State in 1797 and 1798, as well as several land deeds and indentures. (MC 1148)
Sharpless family papers, 1748-1875
Includes letters and diaries of Mary Kite, a travelling Quaker minister who visited Ohio, Virginia, and North Carolina. (MC 1111)
Scattergood family papers, 1681-1814
Includes the letters and diaries of Thomas Scattergood, an important Quaker minister who travelled throughout the Eastern United States and England. (MC 1000)

Travels to Native American Tribes

Joel Swayne diary, 1798-1800
A journal from 1798-1800 covering Swayne’s trip, under the auspices of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, to the Seneca Nation.
Henry Simmons journals, 1796-1800
Simmons’s journals chronicle his missionary work with Native Americans, including the Iroquois and his “Western journey of exploration.” Simmons was on the same trip to the Seneca documented by Joel Swayne above.
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Indian Committee records, 1795-present
Beginning in 1756, this organization has sent delegates to various Native American tribes, done advocacy work with Native Americans, and run schools. Materials include minutes, financial papers, account books, correspondence, addresses, reports, journals, scrapbooks, legal, land and legislative related papers, and maps. (MC 1250)
John Letchworth papers, 1775-1870
Letchworth was a traveling Quaker minister who visited Native Americans in New York state, and also travelled to Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. The collection includes his letters and journals. (MC 1198)
An account of a visit lately made to the people called Quakers in Philadelphia, by Papoonahoal, an Indian chief, and several other Indians, chiefly of the Minisink tribe, 1761.
Includes an account of a conference during this visit.
Substance of conference between Quakers in Philadelphia and the heads of the six Indian nations, 1756
The substance of the conference was to establish an understanding between the Native Americans and the philosophical descendants of William Penn who wished to abide by the peace principle. (MC 950)
Allinson Family papers, 1710-1939
Journal of William Allinson describing a visit he made in 1809 with John Brown to the Native Americans at Tunessasa and Cattaraugus in New York State. 3 volumes. (MC 968, box 11)
Anthony Benezet letters
Includes observations of Native Americans. (MC 852)
Pemberton family papers, 1741-1789
Many of the letters to and from Israel Pemberton discuss the “Friendly Association for the Regaining and Preserving Peace with the Indians by Pacific Measures.” (MC 1036)

Gazetteers, Travel Guides, and Guides for Immigrants

A gazetteer of the state of Pennsylvania.
Gordon, Thomas F. Philadelphia: T. Belknap, 1832.
A gazetteer of the state of New Jersey.
Gordon, Thomas F. Trenton: D. Fenton, 1834.
Notes on the western states: containing descriptive sketches of their soil, climate, resources, and scenery.
Hall, James. Philadelphia: H. Hall, 1838.
The western tourist and emigrant's guide, with a compendious gazetteer of the states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri, and the territories of Wisconsin, and Iowa.
Colton, J.H. New-York: Published by J.H. Colton, no. 124 Broadway., 1839.
Miners and travelers' guide to Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado via the Missouri and Columbia rivers.
Mullan, John. New York: W.M. Franklin, 1865.

Voyages, Travels, and Exploration

The principall navigations, voiages and discoveries of the English nation, made by sea or ouer land, to the most remote and farthest distant quarters of the earth at any time within the compasse of these 1500. yeeres
Richard Hakluyt promoted the settlement of America with this 1589 publication which contains first-hand accounts of the New World. Included is a rare map of the world, the first of English origins to contain the Mercator projection. Imprinted at London: by George Bishop and Ralphe Newberie, deputies to Christopher Barker, printer to the Queenes Most Excellent Maiestie, 1589.
Travels and recent discoveries in the interior districts of Africa: in the years 1796 & '97
By Park, Mungo. New York: Printed by M. M'Farlane for A. Brodie, 1801.
A voyage to the river Sierra-Leone, on the coast of Africa
By Matthews, John. London: Printed for B. White and Son, at Horace's Head Fleet-Street, and J. Sewell, Cornhill, 1788.
A new voyage round the world: Describing particularly, the isthmus of America.
By Dampier, William. London: Print. for J. Knapton, 1697.
Arthur Ziegler photo album, 1938
A photo album of a trip to Cuba, Guatemala, and Honduras on the S.S. Antigua, an American Fruit Company ship. There are scenes of all three countries, including a visit to a banana plantation.
Voyages made in the years 1788 and 1789, from China to the north west coast of America: to which are prefixed, an introductory narrative of a voyage performed in 1786, from Bengal, in the ship Nootka.
By Meares, John. London: Printed at the Logographic Press, 1790.
Observations on the inhabitants, climate, soil, rivers, productions, animals, and other matters worthy of notice: Made by Mr. John Bartram, in his travels from Pensilvania to Onondago, Oswego and the lake Ontario, in Canada.
By Bartram, John. London: Printed for J. Whiston and B. White, 1751.
Voyages from Montreal, on the river St. Laurence, through the continent of North America, to the Frozen and Pacific Oceans; in the years 1789 and 1793.
Mackenzie, Alexander. London: T. Cadell, jun. and W. Davies; [etc., etc.], 1801.
Journal of a voyage for the discovery of a north-west passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
By Parry, William Edward. Philadelphia: A. Small, 1821.
A journey from Prince of Wale's Fort in Hudson's Bay, to the Northern Ocean: Undertaken by order of the Hudson's Bay Company.
Hearne, Samuel. London: A. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1795.
Narrative of the Arctic land expedition to the mouth of the Great Fish River, and along the shores of the Arctic Ocean.
By Back, George. Philadelphia: E.L. Carey & A. Hart, 1836.
Travels through the interior parts of North America.
By Carver, Jonathan. London: C. Dilly [etc.] MDCCLXXXI 1781.
Travels to the westward of the Allegany mountains
By Michaux, François André. London: J. Mawman, 1805.
Exploratory travels through the western territories of North America.
Pike, Zebulon Montgomery. London: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1811.
Views of Louisiana: together with a Journal of a voyage up the Missouri River, in 1811.
By Brackenridge, H. M. (Henry Marie). Pittsburgh: Printed and published by Cramer, Spear and Eichbaum, Franklin head office, 1814.
Morris Birkbeck, Notes on a Journey in America.
Philadelphia: Published by Caleb Richardson, no. 8, North Third Street. J.R.A. Skerrett, Printer, 1817.
Travels in America: preformed in 1806, for the purpose of exploring the rivers Alleghany, Monongahela, Ohio, & Mississippi.
Ashe, Thomas. London: 1818.
Narrative journal of travels through the northwestern regions of the United States, extending from Detroit through the great chain of American lakes, to the sources of the Mississippi River.
Schoolcraft, Henry Rowe. Albany: E. & E. Hosford, 1821.
William Kennard diary, 1841
Kennard records his travels through Ohio, Michigan, New York, Canada, Connecticut, Vermont and Pennsylvania, including mode of travel by rail, steam and canal boat and coach.
Jane Rhoads Morris journal, 1889
Morris's journal was written for her family at home during her trip to Canada during August and September, 1889. Her daily entries describes, in detail, her experiences camping in the Canadian wilderness, accompanied by her cousins and the Native Americans they employed to paddle them in canoes to and from each campsite, as well as interactions with different groups of Native Americans the group meets during their travels.