French Archives and Depositories Papers, 1644-1808 | Illinois History and Lincoln Collections

Scope and Contents:

This collection contains copies of manuscripts from French archives and depositories and are in the form of microfilm, photocopies, and typed or handwritten transcripts. The copied manuscripts come from archives and depositories such as the Archives of the Colonies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Archives of the Hydrographic Service, and the French National Library. The materials were collected for their relation to American history and while preparing two series of Illinois history, The Centennial History of Illinois and Collections of the Illinois State Historical Library, from about 1906 through 1939. Additional detail about this collection can be found on calendar cards created by Illinois Historical Survey staff. These have been digitized and are available to view on the Internet Archive: Illinois Historical Survey French Archives and Depositories Calendar Cards. The calendar cards are arranged chronologically and include the date, format (photostat, transcription, and/or microfilm), series information, and a brief content description of each document.

Acquisition Source: The materials in this collection were collected by the Illinois Historical Survey, a predecessor of the Illinois History and Lincoln Collections, mainly through the efforts of the first two directors Clarence W. Alvord and Thomas C. Pease in the early twentieth century. The greater part of the collection was secured between 1933 and 1948.