Peter Force

Peter Force was a very busy man.

He worked with books and printing. He also helped lead the city of Washington.

His father was a soldier. This made Peter love history. He collected many old maps and papers.

He was a great leader. He served as a mayor twice. He also led a group for science.

He loved the truth. When he printed old papers, he did not change them. He wanted them to stay real.

Many of his books are in a big library now. He helped keep our history safe for us.

Peter Force was a man who loved history.

His father was a soldier. This made Peter very interested in the past. He grew up in New York. Later, he moved to Washington, D.C. to work as a printer.

Force did many important jobs. He was a leader in the printing trade. He was also the mayor of Washington twice. He even helped the Library of Congress. He helped start a new map department there. He gave many rare maps to the library.

Force was a great collector. He saved old books, maps, and papers. He wanted to keep them exactly as they were. He did not change any words in the old papers. He believed the truth was most important.

During the Civil War, Force went to Europe. He worked to help the United States. He spoke with leaders in France and England. His son, Manning Force, was also a soldier in that war.

Force left a huge collection of history for us to study.

Peter Force was a man who lived many different lives.

He was a printer, a politician, and a diplomat. Most importantly, he was a great historian. He loved to collect old things from the past. He gathered books, maps, and important papers. These items helped tell the story of early America. His work helped us understand how the country began.

Force learned the printing trade in New York City. He started working for a man named William A. Davis. By age sixteen, he was already a director in the office. In 1815, he moved to Washington, D.C. He worked in a small printing plant. It only had four wooden hand presses. These machines did all the work for the government. He even held a patent for color printing in 1822.

His interest in history came from his father, William Force. William was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. This inspired Peter to study the past. He spent years finding rare documents. He published a huge collection called "American Archives." This work had nine volumes of important papers. He also published "Tracts and Other Papers." These books helped people learn about the early colonies.

Force was a very busy leader in his city. He served as the Mayor of Washington, D.C. He was elected to this role in 1836 and 1838. He also worked for the Library of Congress. He helped create its Geographical Department in 1856. He gave many of his own rare maps to the library. His collection was one of the largest ever made.

During the Civil War, Force did a hard job. The Lincoln administration sent him to Europe. He traveled to France and England to help the Union. He wanted to keep good relations with those countries. His son, Manning Force, was also a soldier. Manning was a major general in the war.

Force believed in keeping history true. He never changed the words in old documents. He wanted the raw truth to speak for itself.

Peter Force was a multifaceted figure in 19th-century American life. He served as a politician, a newspaper editor, and a printer. Most importantly, he was a dedicated archivist and early American historian.

An archivist is a person who collects and preserves historical records. Force amassed a vast collection of books, manuscripts, and original maps. His collection included materials from statesmen and military officers of the American Revolution. This collection was one of the most extensive ever gathered.

Force’s career began in the printing trade in New York City. He learned the craft and worked for William A. Davis. By the age of sixteen, Force was already a director in the office. In 1815, he moved to Washington, D.C., at age twenty-five. He became a partner in a small congressional printing plant. This plant used only four single-pull, wooden hand presses. These machines were sufficient to handle all government printing work in 1816.

His interest in history was deeply personal. His father, William Force, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. This family connection inspired Peter to study the past. Force became a leader in several professional organizations. He joined the New York Typographical Society in 1812. He was elected its president at only twenty-two years old. He also served as the president of the Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences.

Force was also a significant political leader in Washington, D.C. He was a member of the Whig Party. He supported John Quincy Adams for the presidency in 1824. Force served on the City Council and the Board of Aldermen. He was elected Mayor of Washington, D.C., in 1836 and again in 1838. Although he lost a mayoral election in 1848, he remained an influential figure. He later became the president of the National Institute for the Promotion of Science.

As an editor, Force published several important works. He published the National Calendar from 1820 to 1836. He also published the National Journal between 1823 and 1830. This journal became the official newspaper during the Adams presidency. From 1820 to 1828, he also published the Biennial Register. This was the official directory of the United States government. He even received a U.S. patent for a color printing method in 1822.

Force’s greatest legacy lies in his historical publications. He published "Tracts and Other Papers" between 1836 and 1846. This work focused on the settlement and progress of the American colonies. He also produced the "American Archives," a nine-volume collection. These volumes contained vital documents from the years 1774 to 1776.

His method was unique among historians. He believed in leaving raw documents exactly as they were written. He refused to change grammar or alter meanings to suit his own views.

He also helped shape the Library of Congress. In 1856, he served on a committee to approve a Geographical Department. At that time, the library lacked an adequate collection of maps. Force provided many of his own rare and original maps to this new department. During the American Civil War, he took on a diplomatic role. The Lincoln administration sent him to Europe to stabilize relations with France and England. He worked to prevent these nations from aiding the Confederacy.

Force’s life was connected to the major events of his era. While he worked in diplomacy, his son, Manning Force, served in the military. Manning rose to the rank of major general during the Civil War.

Even during the war, Force protected his work. A Union colonel offered to hide Force’s library from potential Confederate attacks. Force declined the offer, choosing to keep his collection with him. He remained a vital link to America's founding history until his death in 1868.