New York State Assembly Petitions, Correspondence and Reports Relating to Indians A1823

New York State Assembly Petitions, Correspondence and Reports Relating to Indians

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Overview of the Records

Repository:

New York State Archives
New York State Education Department
Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230

Summary:

These are correspondence and petitions from claimants to land purchased from or granted to Indians; reports on legal issues in Indian land claims; petitions from Indians to the State concerning permission to convey land, confirmation of land titles, sale of liquor; and persons appointed to hear grievances; petitions to repeal laws banning liquor sales to Indians; abstracts of and reports on discussions and negotiations between Indians and State and Federal officials; and reports and maps concerning land petitions.

Creator:

New York (State). Legislature. Assembly

Title:

Petitions, correspondence and reports relating to Indians

Quantity:

1.6 cubic feet

2 microfilm rolls 35mm

Inclusive Dates:

1783-1831

Series Number:

A1823

Arrangement

Chronological.

Administrative History

The legislature had final authority over all land transactions and agreements with Indians. Petitions concerning such transactions and agreements were addressed to the legislature and referred to the assembly, which in turn referred the petition to various three-member committees or to the surveyor general or the comptroller.

Scope and Content Note

This series contains: correspondence and petitions from claimants to land purchased from Indians or granted by the state to Indians; reports on legal issues involved in claims to Indian lands; petitions from Indians to the governor or legislature concerning requests for permission to convey land; requests for confirmation of title to land; requests to ban the selling of liquor to Indians or to repeal such bans, and requests for persons to be appointed to hear specific grievances; petitions from inhabitants of various counties to repeal laws banning liquor sales to Indians; abstracts of and reports on discussions and negotiations between Indians and state and federal officials; and comptroller's and surveyor general's reports and maps concerning land petitions.

Alternate Formats Available

Microfilm is available for use at the New York State Archives or through interlibrary loan. Microfilm version of series contains documents found in Assembly Papers Vol. 40 (documents dated 1783-1809) and Vol. 41 (documents dated 1809-1831).

Other Finding Aids

Available at Repository

Alphabetical indexes by name of Indian nation or petitioners.

Custodial History

In the 1830s the secretary of state's office bound these records into Volumes 40 and 41 of the "Assembly Papers." Volume 40 also contained series A1822, Reports on Petitions for Bounty Lands for Revolutionary War Service. These records sustained minor burn damage in the 1911 State Capitol fire. From 2006-2008 they were treated at the Conservation Center for Art and Historical Artifacts in Philadelphia, PA with funding from a Save America's Treasures grant and the New York Archives Partnership Trust.