The son of two devout Quakers, John Greenleaf Whittier was born and raised on the family farm on December 17, 1807, in Haverhill, Massachusetts. His first published poem, "The Exile's Departure," was published in William Lloyd Garrison's Newburyport Free Press in 1826. At Garrison's urging, Whittier attended Haverhill Academy from 1827 to 1828, while supporting himself as a shoemaker and schoolteacher.
A Quaker devoted to social causes and reform, Whittier worked passionately for a series of abolitionist newspapers and magazines. In Boston, he edited the American Manufacturer and the Essex Gazette before becoming editor of the New England Weekly Review. Whittier was also active in his support of National Republican candidates; he was a delegate in 1831 to the national Republican Convention in support of Henry Clay, and he himself ran unsuccessfully for Congress the following year.
His first book, "Legends of New England in Prose and Verse", was published in 1831. For the next thirty years until the Civil War, Whittier wrote essays and articles as well as poems that were concerned with abolition. In 1833 he wrote "Justice and Expedience" urging immediate abolition. In 1834 he was elected as a Whig for one term to the Massachusetts legislature. The folowing year he was mobbed and stoned in Concord, New Hampshire, for his beliefs. In 1836 Whittier moved to Amesbury, Massachusetts where he worked for the American Anti-Slavery Society. Later while working as the as editor of the Pennsylvania Freeman, in May 1838, the paper's offices were burned to the ground and sacked during the destruction of Pennsylvania Hall by a mob.
Whittier helped to establish the antislavery Liberty party in 1840 and ran for the U.S. Congress in 1842. In the mid-1850s he helped form the Republican party, supported the presidential candidacy of John C. Frémont in 1856, and helped to found the Atlantic Monthly in 1857.
The Civil War inspired the famous poem, "Barbara Frietchie," but with slavery abolished in 1865 Whittier turned his attention to topics of religion, nature, and rural life. His his most popular work, Snow-Bound (1866) sold 20,000 copies, enough to leave Whittier and his extended family without financial need.
In the early 1880s, he formed close friendships with Sarah Orne Jewett (1849–1909) and Annie Fields (1834-1915), both well-known New England authors. For his seventieth birthday dinner in 1877, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Mark Twain, Oliver Wendell Holmes, James Russell Lowell, and William Dean Howells were in attendance. While Whittier's critics often considered him to be just an average poet, they thought him a nobel and kind man whose verse gave unique expression to ideas they valued. Whittier passed away at Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, on September 7, 1892.
Collection is open for research by appointment. Materials do not circulate. Some materials may be restricted, for further information contact the Archives and Special Collections, Phillips Memorial Library, Providence College.
Researchers are advised that express written permission to reproduce, quote, or otherwise publish any portion or extract from this collection must be obtained from the Phillips Memorial Library. Although Providence College has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the literary rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Bruce E. Graver collection on John G. Whittier, Providence College, Phillips Memorial Library, Archives and Special Collections.
The collection contains personal correspondence, newspapers containing various poems and writings by Whittier, souvenir programs, cabinet cards, sheet music, autographs, an auction catalog of Whittier's personal book collection. Additional materials include ephemeral, such as flyers and news clippings, along with memorial service materials commemorating Whittier's passing.
The collection is arranged in three series.
The collection was donated to Providence College in May 2010 by Dr. Bruce E. Graver of Rhode Island. Prior to Providence College's acquisition of this collection, Dr. Graver devoted over twenty years to collecting signed correspondence, newspapers containing poems by Whittier, and books published by Whittier before donating his collection to Providence College.
The books that are part of this collection are cataloged separately and can be found in the Library's catalog by using the search term
This series contains correspondence with a variety persons Whittier had cause to be in contact with during the course of his life.
This series is arranged alphabetically
Thank you note.
Regarding Dana's recent tribute to Edward Everett.
Thank you note.
Thank you note.
Whittier discusses his current affairs and state of health.
Thank you note.
Note discussing an encyclopedia entry on Whittier's birth date.
Thank you note.
Whittier describes a trip he took to New York.
Whitttier informing his niece, Lizzie, of his intention of staying at Amesbury due to a cold.
Part of a letter from Whittier regarding a photograph.
Thank you note.
Contains five lines of Whittier's poetry.
Whittier sends his regrets for missing a meeting of the Radical Club.
Whittier responds to an invitation to the Decennial Anniversary of the Appalachian Club.
See
Stewart was a Canadian journalist and editor of the
See
Thank you note.
Regarding the publication of one of Whittier's poems.
Discusses Italian politics.
Thank you note.
Discusses one of Whittier's poems
Discusses the American political landscape.
Thank you note.
Reponding to a request made by Walker.
Discusses an article on Charles Sumner by Whipple.
Invitation note to Whipple to vist Whittier in Danvers, Ma.
Discusses Whipple's review of one of Whittier's poems.
This series contains a variety of materials relating to Whittier's writings and his life not found elsewhere within the collection.
This series is arranged by topic.
Prints Whittier's poem "Lexington, 1775" along with the Order of Exercises in Lexington on
April 19, 1875, the centenary of the battle, when the poem was read aloud.
Contains "Lexington - 1775" by Whittier and "April 19th, 1875" by Julia Ward Howe.
Presents "Song of the Vermonters" as an authenic historical document without crediting Whittier.
Contains a poem about a Moskowski piano piece.
Soft-bound illustrated Christmas card ca. 1950s.
Contains first printing of an Ode, renamed "A Song of Harvest" and collected in
Now known as Moses Brown School, Whittier's cousin, Gertrude Whittier Cartland and her husband
were principals of the school in the 1850s.
No. 147 of 500 copies. Contains the first printing of "Lafayette" and a reprint of
"Lines on the Death of Alexander I, Emperor of Russia".
Issue No. 9 of the
Order of exercises for a Whittier memorial servive held at
New Hampshire Female College Conference Seminary, Tilton, NH.
Sermon preached by Clark on September 11, 1892 at the Tabernacle Church, Salem, MA.
Lyrics from Whittier's poem "The Huskers", published in
Earliest known musical setting of a Whittier poem by the Scottish tenor William Dempter.
See box 3
Musical setting of Whittier poem used as promotioal advertizing for
Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel,
See box 3
See box 3
This series is comprised of 19th century newspapers that Whittier either edited, namely
This series is arranged chronologically within each newspaper title.
Reprint of "The Indian's Tale" from
Contains extracts of "Moll Pitcher and the Minstrel Girl".
Contains a notice of Massachusetts celebration of West Indian Emancipation and a notice
regarding Captain Jonathan Walker whose story is the basis of "The Branded Hand".
Contains initial publication of "Brown of Osawatomie" and a letter by from Italy by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Contains "At Deer Island on the Merrimac".
Contains initial publication of "The Wish of Today", dated 20th 11th Month 1848.
Contains "Sketches of Modern Reforms and Reformers, in Great Britain and Ireland"
by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Contains second installment of "Sketches of Modern Reforms and Reformers, in Great Britain
and Ireland" by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Contains fourth installment of "Sketches of Modern Reforms and Reformers, in Great Britain
and Ireland" by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Contains fifth installment of "Sketches of Modern Reforms and Reformers, in Great Britain
and Ireland" by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Contains sixth installment of "Sketches of Modern Reforms and Reformers, in Great Britain
and Ireland" by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Contains seventh installment of "Sketches of Modern Reforms and Reformers, in Great Britain
and Ireland" by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Also letters from "Grace Greenwood", and a poem by Phoebe Cary.
Contains eighth installment of "Sketches of Modern Reforms and Reformers, in Great Britain
and Ireland" by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Also letters from "Grace Greenwood", and a poem by Phoebe Cary.
Contains an unnumbered installment of "Sketches of Modern Reforms and Reformers, in Great Britain
and Ireland" by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Also a poem by Phoebe Cary.
Contains an unnumbered installment of "Sketches of Modern Reforms and Reformers, in Great Britain
and Ireland" by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Also initial publication of "The Calaf in Boston".
Contains letters from Grace Greenwood and initial publication of "The Great Stone Face"
by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Contains initial publication of "The Hill-Top". Also a brief obituary of William Wordsworth who passed
away on April 23, 1850.
Contains the poem "Autumn Leaves" by Lucy Larcom.
Contains initial publication of "Take Back the Bowl".
Contains initial publication of "Spirit of Pestilence".
Contains reprint of "To a Lady" (Currier's Version B) from the
Contains initial publication of "To______". The first three stanzas of this poem originally appeared
in the
Contains reprint eassy "Life" from the
Contains reprint of "The Unquiet Sleeper" from the
Contains reprint of "The Murdered Lady" from the
Also publishes "New England Legends".
Contains reprint of "Spirit of Pestilence" from July 1, 1829.
Contains reprint of "The Forsaken" from the earlier published unsigned in
Contains reprint of the short story "Henry St. Clair, A Prize Tale" from
Contains reprint of "Christ in the Tempest" from
Contains reprint of "To the Memory of J.G.C. Brainard" from
Contains reprint of "The Demon Lady" from
Contains "Lexington--1775" and the poem "The Nesting Swallows" by Celia Thaxter.
The initial publication of "The Wind of March", dated Newburyport, Mass., March 4th, 1892.
Reprint of "Pentucket".
Reprint of "The New Wife and Old".
Contains front page obituary for Whittier. See flat files.