Series 1: Writings, 1764-1848
This series consists of the personal writings of Ashbel Green. It contains four subseries. The first, Diaries, includes both hand written and typed transcripts of Green's personal diaries. The second, Reports, includes hand written drafts and completed reports addressed to the faculty and trustees of the College of New Jersey. The third, Sermons, includes hand written and numbered sermons delivered by Green. The fourth, Miscellaneous, includes photostats of portions of the "Life of Witherspoon" and several addresses, which written and read while Green was president of the College of New Jersey.
The subseries are arranged alphabetically.
Subseries 1A: Diaries, 1790-1848
Diary, 1790 June 14-1800 February 21
Diary, 1800 February 21-1822 April 6
Diary, 1822 April 7-1848 April 27
Transcripts, 1790-1848
1790-1801, undated
1802-1816, undated
1817-1832, undated
1833-1844, undated
1845-1848, undated
Subseries 1B: Reports, 1813-1817
Subseries 1C: Sermons, 1786-1812
Sermon No. 6, 1786 August
Sermon No. 8, 1789 February
Sermon No. 14, undated
Sermon No. 23, 1787 September 9
Sermon No. 28, 1787 November 17
Sermon No. 67, 1788 November 23
Sermon No. 77, 1789 March 22
Sermon No. 80, 1789 March 19
Sermon No. 89, 1789 August 30
Sermon No. 90, 1789 September 19
Sermon No. 139, 1791 March 27
Sermon No. 141, 1791 April 17
Sermon No. 152, 1791 October 16
Sermon No. 198, 1793 March 10
Sermon No. 209, 1793 August 11
Sermon No. 237, 1796 February
Sermon No. 252, 1797 July 16
Sermon No. 253, 1797 July 30
Sermon No. 256, 1797 November 30
Sermon No. 262, 1798 June 3
Sermons: Unnumbered, undated
Sermons: Miscellaneous, 1791-1812
Subseries 1D: Miscellaneous, 1764-1812
Series 2: Correspondence, 1783-1841
The series contains letters both to and from Ashbel Green. Correspondents include family, spouses, fellow clergy, friends, some of whom were members of prominent New Jersey families. Notable correspondents include Francis Scott Key, Benjamin Rush, and Jedediah Morse. The letters reveal details of Green's relationships with family and friends and sometimes offer glimpses into his professional experiences and philosophical beliefs.
This series is arranged alphabetically by correspondent.
Abeel, John N, 1794-1805
Anderson, Alexander, 1812 June 3
Armstrong, James F, 1794 November 19
Beatty, Ercuries, 1818 July 2
Beresford, Richard, 1787 June 21
Bradford, Ebenezer, 1789 August 27
Bradford, James, 1808, 1825
Bradford, John M, 1804 February-July
Bradford, Moses, 1783 October 17
Bradford, William, Jr, 1789
Bush, George, 1823 September 15
Call, James, Jr.?, 1797 April 19
Chambers, George, 1816 March 14
Clark, John F, 1815 February 20
Classis, Reverend, 1799 January 17
Crichton, Joseph, 1835 October 22
Croes, John, 1782 May 21-1783 July 8
Davidson, Robert, 1806 February 24
Darling, Eliza, 1809 March 21
Ewing, Charles, 1821 December 21
Ewing, Greville, 1835 July 8
Finley, Robert, 1809 June 19
Freeman, Adam, 1801 October 24
Giles, Aquila, 1818 August
Green, Jacob (1790-1841), 1808-1823
Green, James S, 1820 August 8
Green, Robert S, 1807 August 10
Hill, William, 1804 January-May
Hodge, Levi, 1820 March 20
Janeway, Jacob J, 1817 February 7
Key, Francis Scott, 1821 February 9
Lewis, Zachariah, 1821 March-April
Little, W.C., 1829 November 10
Maclean, John, 1841 November 4
Marx, Samuel, 1813 October 16
McCulloh, James W, 1819 February 9
McCulloh, Samuel, 1820-1837
McDowell, John, 1846 September 29
Minto, Walter, 1795 May
Morse, Jedediah, 1790-1820
Ralston, Robert, 1819 January 7
Richards, James, 1813-1822
Rush, Dr. Benjamin, 1809 January 11
Smith, R, 1816 December 12
Smith, T.B., 1821 September 18
Snowden, Charles, 1841 October 23
Stockton, Job, 1809 October 14
Stockton, Mrs. Richard, 1783 May
Stockton, Robert, 1797 April 24
Vaughan, John, 1818 April 27
Woodward, William, 1821 November 23
Unidentified, January 4
Series 3: Papers of Other Persons, 1744-1958
The series contains documents created by Ashbel's father Jacob and various other family and associates. This series contains two subseries: Jacob Green and Others. The Jacob Green subseries contains the writings of Ashbel's father while the Others subseries consists mostly of personal correspondence between family members.
This series is arranged alphabetically.
Subseries 3A: Jacob Green, 1744-1811
Address, 1768 December
Day book, 1754 November 6-1755 May 8
Diaries, 1751-1787
Sermons, 1744-1769
Sermons, 1770-1779
Sermons, 1780-1790
Sermons, 1765-1790
Sermons, undated
Sermons, undated
Miscellaneous, 1755-1811
Subseries 3B: Others, 1783-1958
Boudinot, Elias, circa 1783
Green, Ashbel, 1927 May 22
Green, Ashbel, Jr, 1828-1875
Green, Beverly Jean, 1958 August
Green, Jacob, 1819-1836
Green, James Sprout, 1800-1851
Green, Mary McCulloh, undated
Green, Robert Stockton, circa 1850
McCulloh, Ann Smith, 1818 August
McCulloh, James, undated
McCulloh, Margaret, 1822-1832
McCulloh, Samuel, Jr, 1820-1841
McCulloh, Sarah, 1870 April 20
Miller, Elihu Spencer, 1850 July 1
Moffat, James C, 1835 December 30
Stockholm, John, 1780
Unidentified, 1811
Series 4: Miscellaneous, 1789-1858
The series contains printed material and certified documents. Documents include affidavits, complaints, and certificates signed by Green and meeting minutes delivered to Green. The bulk of the documents date to Green's tenure at the College of New Jersey. The printed materials include two books written by Green and newspaper clippings.
This series is arranged alphabetically by subject.
Affidavit, 1817 January 22
Bill of Complaint, circa 1807
Green Family Tree, undated
Meeting Notes, 1789
Newspaper Clippings, 1828-1896
Student Rolls, undated
Indenture, 1786 September 22
- Scope and Contents
The collection consists of writings, correspondence, printed documents, and other materials of Green. Included are Green's original diaries (with typed transcriptions), covering the period from 1790 to 1848, as well as holograph reports, sermons, and addresses. The reports were delivered to the faculty and trustees of the College of New Jersey and describe the state of the college in a given year. Most of the sermons, numbered and dated and noting a specific Bible verse, were intended for Green's congregation in Philadelphia.
Correspondence documents Green's personal and professional activities through letters exchanged over the course of his life with family, friends, and colleagues. Correspondents include Green's wives, children, work associates, and fellow clergymen, as well as several prominent Americans of the time, such as Francis Scott Key, Dr. Benjamin Rush, and Jedediah Morse.
In addition, the papers include printed material, such as copies of The Life of Ashbel Green (1849) and a collection of sermons from the Christian Advocate. There are also documents created by Green's father, Jacob Green (1722-1790), and various other family members.
- Collection Creator Biography:
Green
Born in Hanover, New Jersey, on July 6, 1762, Ashbel Green was the son of the Reverend Jacob Green, minister of the Presbyterian congregation in Hanover. Taught at home by his father, Green adopted many of his father's religious and political convictions. Green credited his father with adequately preparing him for college. He entered the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) as a member of the Class of 1783 during that class's junior year. He graduated as valedictorian and delivered the valedictory oration. After graduation, Green spent two years as a tutor at the college followed by a year and a half as the chair of the Mathematics and Natural Philosophy department. While working at the college, Green was also studying theology with Professor John Witherspoon with the goal of becoming a minister in mind. Green would also marry his first wife, Elizabeth Stockton, while at the College of New Jersey. Elizabeth was the daughter of prominent Princetonian Robert Stockton. They had three children together – Robert Stockton, Jacob, and James Sprout.
Green was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of New Brunswick in February 1786. He was ordained and installed minister at Philadelphia's Second Presbyterian Church in May of 1787, where he remained until 1812. While a minister in Philadelphia, Green's stature began to grow. He became a member of the Presbyterian General Assembly, later serving as its Stated Clerk from 1790 to 1803. He achieved national prominence when he was elected chaplain to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1792, where he served until the end of President Washington's second term in 1800. He was a member of the committee which planned the Theological Seminary at Princeton and maintained a close relationship with the institution until his death.
Green was elected president of the College of New Jersey in August 1812, succeeding Samuel Stanhope Smith (1751-1819). Unhappy with the direction the previous administration had taken the college, Green sought to reestablish order and discipline and the importance of religious education. The campus underwent a modest religious revival not long after he took office. Frequent student riots had plagued the college during President Smith's tenure, prompting Green to implement a firm code of discipline. Though student discontent persisted, Green was successful in increasing enrollment during his tenure. He resigned in September of 1822, prompted by the trustees' attempts to push his son Jacob out of his professorship. Green also cited illness and age as contributing factors. After leaving Princeton, Green returned to Philadelphia to edit the Christian Advocate and continue his career as an influential theologian.
Green's first wife died in January of 1807. In October 1809, Green married Christina Anderson, daughter of Colonel Alexander Anderson. Ashbel and Christina had one child, Ashbel, Jr. Christina passed away in 1814. In 1815 he married a third time to Mary McCulloh, who died in 1817. Green lived to age 86, passing away on May 19, 1848, in Philadelphia.
- Acquisition:
The initial accession occurred in March 1958 when the bulk of the Jacob Green and some Ashbel Green material was given to Princeton as a gift from James L. and Beverly Green. Several Ashbel Green letters were added in 1976 as a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Outerbridge. In 1977 , Princeton received letters and documents related to Ashbel Green and Dr. Samuel McCulloh as a gift from Mary McCulloch. The Ashbel Green diaries, transcripts, genealogical sketch, the copy of The Life of Ashbel Green, and 8 letters from Green to various family members was purchased by Princeton from Geoffrey Stockton Green in August 1989 . "Resolutions on entering on duty of president, Princeton College" and "Extract of minutes of meetings of the Synod of New York and New Jersey" were purchased in 2006 from a private dealer.
- Accruals
No accruals are expected.
- Appraisal
No appraisal information is available.
- Sponsorship:
These papers were processed with an operating support grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State.
- Processing Information
This collection was processed by Casey Babcock in 2007. Finding aid written by Casey Babcock in 2007.
- Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
- Conditions Governing Use
Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.
- Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.
- Credit this material:
Princeton University Library Collection of Ashbel Green Materials; Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library
- Permanent URL:
- http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/4j03cz668
- Location:
-
Firestone LibraryOne Washington RoadPrinceton, NJ 08544, USA
- Storage Note:
- Firestone Library (scamss): Box 1-13
- Bibliography
A Princeton Companion (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1978) and The Life of Ashbel Green, V.D.M. (New York: Robert Carter and Brothers, 1849) were consulted during preparation of biographical note.
- Subject Terms:
- Clergy -- United States.
Fathers and sons -- New Jersey -- Princeton. - Genre Terms:
- Correspondence -- 18th century
Correspondence -- 19th century
Diaries -- 18th century.
Diaries -- 19th century
Sermons, American -- 18th century.
Sermons, American -- 19th century.
Speeches. - Names:
- Presbyterian church in the U.S.A.
Princeton University
Green, Ashbel, 1825-1898
Green, Jacob, 1722-1790