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Correspondence

Here we present our growing digital edition of the correspondence of Charles W. Chesnutt. Chesnutt’s letters illuminate the expansive social and literary network of this prominent African American writer, lawyer, and voting rights activist, and shed light on his times. The letters, dating from 1883 to 1932, range widely, relating to personal, political, business, civic, and literary matters. Our edition includes transcriptions of incoming as well as outgoing letters, and Chesnutt’s drafts, along with images of the original documents whenever possible. Our editorial policies can be found here.

The edition includes a catalog of all of Chesnutt’s known correspondence, incoming and outgoing.


Full Correspondence Catalog


Correspondence

170 items

Charles W. Chesnutt to Herbert Small, 26 October 1899

  • Date: October 26, 1899
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: African American History collection (1729–1970, bulk 1800–1865), William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan, M-454 et al., box 5, folder 20a

Charles W. Chesnutt to M. A. De Wolfe Howe, 31 October 1899

  • Date: October 31, 1899
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt letters, 1899-1900, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University Libraries, Pennsylvania State University, 1969-0092R VF Lit

Charles W. Chesnutt to Herbert Small, 6 November 1899

  • Date: November 6, 1899
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt letters, 1899-1900, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University Libraries, Pennsylvania State University, 1969-0092R VF Lit

Charles W. Chesnutt to Jerome B. Howard, 15 December 1899

  • Date: December 15, 1899
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: African American History collection (1729–1970, bulk 1800–1865), William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan, M-454 et al., box 5, folder 21a

Charles W. Chesnutt to William Dean Howells, [3 February 1900]

  • Date: February 3, 1900
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: William Dean Howells, Gilded Age Collections, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, GA-20

Charles W. Chesnutt to Booker T. Washington, 24 February 1900

  • Date: February 24, 1900
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 36, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Helen M. Chesnutt to Charles W. Chesnutt, 5 March 1900

  • Date: March 5, 1900
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Helen M.
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Charles Waddell Chesnutt Papers 1889-1932, Western Reserve Historical Society, MS 3370

Charles W. Chesnutt to Booker T. Washington, 29 October 1900

  • Date: October 29, 1900
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 39, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Charles W. Chesnutt to Booker T. Washington, 10 November 1900

  • Date: November 10, 1900
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W.
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 39, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Charles W. Chesnutt to Booker T. Washington, 13 March 1901

  • Date: March 13, 1901
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W.
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 39, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Charles W. Chesnutt to Booker T. Washington, 10 May 1901

  • Date: May 10, 1901
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 39, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Charles W. Chesnutt to Emmett J. Scott, 4 September 1901

  • Date: September 4, 1901
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W.
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 39, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Charles W. Chesnutt to Booker T. Washington, 8 October 1901

  • Date: October 8, 1901
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 39, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Charles W. Chesnutt to Emmett J. Scott, 24 October 1901

  • Date: October 24, 1901
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W.
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 39, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Charles W. Chesnutt to Booker T. Washington, 5 November 1901

  • Date: November 5, 1901
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 39, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Charles W. Chesnutt to Booker T. Washington, 16 November 1901

  • Date: November 16, 1901
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 39, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Charles W. Chesnutt to Booker T. Washington, 25 November 1901

  • Date: November 25, 1901
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W.
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 39, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Charles W. Chesnutt to Booker T. Washington, 9 December 1901

  • Date: December 9, 1901
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 39, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Charles W. Chesnutt to Booker T. Washington, 1902

  • Date: 1902
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 39, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Charles W. Chesnutt to Booker T. Washington, 5 March 1902

  • Date: March 5, 1902
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 39, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Charles W. Chesnutt to Horace Traubel, 25 March 1902

  • Date: March 25, 1902
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Horace Traubel and Anne Montgomerie Traubel Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, MSS43141, box 58

Charles W. Chesnutt to Booker T. Washington, 23 May 1902

  • Date: May 23, 1902
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 39, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Charles W. Chesnutt to Booker T. Washington, 10 June 1902

  • Date: June 10, 1902
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 524, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Charles W. Chesnutt to Booker T. Washington, 21 June 1902

  • Date: June 21, 1902
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 39, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Charles W. Chesnutt to Emmett J. Scott, 9 July 1902

  • Date: July 9, 1902
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W.
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 39, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Charles W. Chesnutt to Horace Traubel, 16 August 1902

  • Date: August 16, 1902
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Horace Traubel and Anne Montgomerie Traubel Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, MSS43141

Charles W. Chesnutt to Horace Traubel, 19 December 1902

  • Date: December 19, 1902
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Horace Traubel and Anne Montgomerie Traubel Papers, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS43141, box 58

Charles W. Chesnutt to Booker T. Washington, 21 March 1903

  • Date: March 21, 1903
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 39, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Emmett J. Scott to Charles W. Chesnutt, 6 May 1903

  • Date: May 6, 1903
  • Creator(s): Scott, Emmett J.
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 39, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Charles W. Chesnutt to W. E. B. Du Bois, 27 June 1903

  • Date: June 27, 1903
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W.
  • Format: letter
  • Source: W. E. B. Du Bois Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries, MS 312

Charles W. Chesnutt to Horace Traubel, 3 July 1903

  • Date: July 3, 1903
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Horace Traubel and Anne Montgomerie Traubel Papers, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS43141

Booker T. Washington to Charles W. Chesnutt, 7 July 1903

  • Date: July 7, 1903
  • Creator(s): Washington, Booker T.
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 524, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

W. E. B. Du Bois to Charles W. Chesnutt, 16 July 1903

  • Date: July 16, 1903
  • Creator(s): Du Bois, W. E. B.
  • Format: letter
  • Source: James Lowell Gibbs collection of African-American documents, 1865-1918, Rare and Manuscript Collection, Cornell University, 4506, box 1, folder 16

Charles W. Chesnutt to Booker T. Washington, 11 August 1903

  • Date: August 11, 1903
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 524, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Booker T. Washington to Charles Chesnutt, 26 October 1903

  • Date: October 26, 1903
  • Creator(s): Washington, Booker T.
  • Format: letter
  • Source: James Lowell Gibbs collection of African-American documents, 1865-1918, Cornell University, 4506, box 1, folder 18

Kelly Miller to Charles W. Chesnutt, 5 October 1903

  • Date: October 5, 1903
  • Creator(s): Miller, Kelly
  • Format: letter
  • Source: James Lowell Gibbs collection of African-American documents, 1865-1918, Cornell University, 4506, box 1, folder 17

Booker T. Washington to Charles W. Chesnutt, 26 October 1903

  • Date: October 26, 1903
  • Creator(s): Washington, Booker T.
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 39, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Charles W. Chesnutt to Booker T. Washington, 31 October 1903

  • Date: October 31, 1903
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 524, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Charles W. Chesnutt to Booker T. Washington, 5 March 1904

  • Date: March 5, 1904
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 9, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Booker T. Washington to Charles W. Chesnutt, 10 March 1904

  • Date: March 10, 1904
  • Creator(s): Washington, Booker T.
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 9, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Charles W. Chesnutt to Booker T. Washington, 28 May 1904

  • Date: May 28, 1904
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 9, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Charles W. Chesnutt to Booker T. Washington, 8 June 1904

  • Date: June 8, 1904
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 524, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Charles W. Chesnutt to Booker T. Washington, 27 October 1904

  • Date: October 27, 1904
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 524, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Booker T. Washington to Charles W. Chesnutt, 31 October 1904

  • Date: October 31, 1904
  • Creator(s): Washington, Booker T.
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 39, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Emmett J. Scott to Charles W. Chesnutt, 21 December 1904

  • Date: December 21, 1904
  • Creator(s): Scott, Emmett J.
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 39, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Emmett J. Scott to Charles W. Chesnutt, 27 March 1905

  • Date: March 27, 1905
  • Creator(s): Scott, Emmett J.
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 39, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell

Charles W. Chesnutt to Horace Traubel, 2 June 1905

  • Date: June 2, 1905
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Horace Traubel and Anne Montgomerie Traubel Papers, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS43141, box 58

Charles W. Chesnutt to Horace Traubel, 16 September 1905

  • Date: September 16, 1905
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Horace Traubel and Anne Montgomerie Traubel Papers, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS43141, box 58

Charles W. Chesnutt to Horace Traubel, 6 November 1905

  • Date: November 6, 1905
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Horace Traubel and Anne Montgomerie Traubel Papers, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS43141, box 58

Charles W. Chesnutt to Booker T. Washington, 10 November 1905

  • Date: November 10, 1905
  • Creator(s): Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Booker T. Washington papers, 1853-1946, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, MSS44669, box 39, folder Chesnutt, Charles Waddell