Scope and Content Note
The correspondence of John Fairfield (1797-1847) spans the years 1828 to 1876, with the bulk of the material extending over the period 1835 to 1847. The collection consists chiefly of letters from Fairfield to his wife, Anna Paine Thornton Fairfield, and their children during Fairfield's service away from home and correspondence to Fairfield in his official capacities.
A Democrat, John Fairfield served the state of Maine as a representative in Congress, governor, and senator. During these periods Fairfield maintained a faithful correspondence with his family in Saco, Maine, and discussed personal and family affairs, described his colleagues and other prominent personages, commented on political developments, depicted social functions, and reported news of the day.
Following the death in a duel in 1838 of Jonathan Cilley, a fellow congressman from Maine, Fairfield called for an investigation of the affair. His stand in this matter precipitated the demise of dueling in Congress and brought Fairfield widespread popularity.
In 1839, while Fairfield was governor, hostilities erupted between Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick over the northeastern boundary, resulting in the "Aroostook War." As belligerency subsided, Fairfield played a leading role in arriving at a negotiated settlement of the dispute between the United States and Great Britain which was ultimately resolved by the Webster-Ashburton Treaty in 1842.
As his career progressed, Fairfield became increasingly involved in party politics. When President James K. Polk's cabinet was being formed, Fairfield was an unsuccessful contender for the post of secretary of the navy. Fairfield was influential in many political appointments and served as chairman of the Senate Committee on Naval Affairs.
Prominent correspondents in the collection include Hugh J. Anderson, Nathan Clifford, Stephen A. Emery, Amos Nourse, Ether Shepley, Catharine Read Williams, and Reuel Williams. Approximately half of the personal correspondence has been published in The Letters of John Fairfield (1922), edited by Arthur G. Staples. The letters in this volume do not often comprise the full text of the originals.