Scope and Content Note
The papers of Philippe Bunau-Varilla (1859-1940) span the period 1877-1955, with the bulk of the material relating to his activities in the United States, 1900-1907, and to his role in the Panamanian revolution and as minister plenipotentiary for the new government. The collection includes correspondence, speeches, writings, legal records, newspaper clippings, and other papers, much of which is in French. The papers are organized in six series: General Correspondence , Speech, Article, and Book File , Legal File , Miscellany , Newspaper Clippings , and Addition .
The papers contain material relating to the revolution in Panama, items concerning the Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty, including documents selected and annotated by Bunau-Varilla, and a note with a postal stamp illustrating volcanic activity sent from the Republic of Nicaragua to members of Congress in June 1902.
Correspondents include John Bigelow, Ferdinand de Lesseps, Henry Cabot Lodge (1850-1924), Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Hanna, John Hay, William Crawford Gorgas, Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, Theodore E. Burton, J. J. Jusserand, and Manuel Amador Guerrero.