Cumberland University’s Papers of Martin Van Buren project receives grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission

Cumberland University has recently announced that its Papers of Martin Van Buren project has received a grant for $150,027 from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. The money will be used to support the continuing creation of print and digital editions of the Van Buren papers, which is making approximately 14,000 documents of the eighth president’s papers accessible to the public.

The project director of the Papers of Martin Van Buren project and Cumberland University history professor, Mark Cheathem, makes sure to involve students with the difficult task of deciphering these documents, which are written in difficult to read 19th century handwriting.

In an article posted on Cumberland University’s website, Cheathem talked about the impact of the grant on the project, saying, “This year, for the first time since 2020, we were able to reinvigorate our internship program, which is an important part of our work as a teaching project.” He also noted that the grant will allow for the hiring of a new fulltime editor, which is a critical step to moving the project to completion of the first print volume. The first volume focuses on documents from the early life and political career of Van Buren.

The transcription of Van Buren’s papers, including miscellaneous material, notes, speeches, and letters, is providing a fresh look into one of the founders of the Democratic party, the changes in political culture that took place in his lifetime, and the evolution of formal politics in the time between the War of 1812 and the Civil War. The project is also helping students, scholars, and the public understand how the politics of America matured during the early stages of its development as a country.

In addition to Cumberland University, the Papers of Martin Van Buren Project is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. It is also produced thanks to a partnership with the University of Virginia’s Center for Digital Editing.

More information about the Papers of Martin Van Buren Project can be found here.

More information about Cumberland University can be found at the school’s website.