Knowra Peter Force Peter Force Peter Force (1790–1868) was an American historian, printer, and publisher best known for compiling documentary collections on early United States history.
Jared Sparks : An American historian and editor who published collections of writings by prominent figures in early United States history. Sparks and Force were leading nineteenth-century editors of documents from the American past.
American Archives : A multivolume documentary collection assembled by Peter Force, covering events leading to and during the American Revolution. This is Force’s best-known editorial project and the clearest example of his method.
Documentary editing : The selection, transcription, annotation, and publication of historical documents as an edited collection. Force’s historical reputation rests on assembling and preparing documents for publication.
Founders Online : A digital collection of annotated papers of major American founders, including Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, and Hamilton. Its searchable documentary model extends the access goals of earlier printed collections such as Force’s.
John Quincy Adams : The sixth president of the United States and a diplomat, congressman, and diarist. Adams served on the congressional committee that supported Force’s documentary publishing project.
American Revolution : The political and military struggle in which thirteen British colonies in North America gained independence. Much of Force’s documentary work centers on the Revolution and its origins.
Letterpress printing : A printing process that transfers ink from raised type or plates onto paper under pressure. Force’s career as a printer enabled the production of large documentary volumes.
Documentary history : A form of historical study that reconstructs events through collections of contemporary documents. Force helped make documentary compilation a prominent way to study the nation’s early history.
Thomas Jefferson : An American Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States. Force’s collections preserved documents associated with Jefferson and the founding era.
Primary source : A source created by someone directly involved in or observing the events it documents. Force’s collections are built chiefly from documents treated as historical evidence.
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