Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
The papers and collection of Peter Force, antiquarian, historian, and mayor of Washington, D.C., were obtained by Library of Congress through purchase, transfer, and gift, 1867-1985. The largest segment, collected and transcribed for his work, American Archives, was received in 1867 when Congress purchased the "Force Library." The major group of personal papers was given by his son, William Q. Force, in 1875. The Library has augmented these papers by purchasing additional personal material. Edward Stead, great-grandson of Peter Force, added documents regarding the purchase of the Force Library in 1967 and diaries of William Q. Force and family items in 1970.
Processing History
The papers and collection of Peter Force were arranged and described 1972-1985 by Carolyn Sung, Audrey Walker, and David Matthisen1. Series VIII and IX were microfilmed in 1977 and subseries VII E was microfilmed in 1985. In 2000, 2012, and 2014 portions of the collection were reprocessed and the finding aid was revised by Patrick Kerwin and Kathleen O'Neill.
Transfers
Items have been transferred from the Manuscript Division to other custodial divisions of the Library. Some maps have been transferred to the Geography and Maps Division. Some pre-1801 American imprints, other rare books, and pamphlets have been transferred to the Rare Book and Special Collections Division. All transfers are identified in these divisions as part of the Peter Force Papers and Collection. Transfers to other institutions include flag fragments from the War of 1812 on loan to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and several items relating to Maryland state history on permanent loan to the Maryland State Archives.
Other Repositories
Other papers of Peter Force and William Q. Force are held at the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Correspondence between William Q. Force and his son, Manning Ferguson Force, is in the Manning Ferguson Force Papers at the University of Washington. The Library of Congress holds a microfilm edition of these papers. Also supplementing this father-son correspondence are approximately sixty diary-letters written by Manning to his father during the Civil War, which are at the Boston University Library.
Related Material
Related collections in the Manuscript Division include the M. F. Force Correspondence
Microfilm
A microfilm edition of part of these papers is available on 168 reels. Consult reference staff in the Manuscript Division concerning availability for purchase or interlibrary loan. To promote preservation of the originals, researchers are required to consult the microfilm edition as available.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container or reel number, Peter Force Papers and Collection, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.