Dear List Members:

I am a professor at the University of Kentucky and am writing a book about
James Madison and the Bill of Rights.

One of the key chapters in the book is about the election between Madison
and James Monroe for a seat in the U.S. House in the First Congress.  I
discuss the campaign in the weeks leading up to the voting on Feb. 2, 1789,
and of course, the election results.

I have used for that chapter all of the materials that you would
expect:  Papers of James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and George Mason;
writings of Monroe and Patrick Henry; the Documentary History of the First
Federal Elections by DenBoer; the diary of Francis Taylor, Madison's second
cousin; land tax records at the Library of Virginia showing who was
eligible to vote; biographies by Rives, Hunt, Brant, Ketchum, Ammon, and
others; the works of Banning, Rakove, and other scholars, to name some of
the sources for the chapter.

My question for the list is whether there may be materials on the election
that would not be found in any of the traditional sources.  For example, I
have concluded that the historical societies of the individual counties in
the district do not have materials related to the election, but that may
not be correct.  I have also read that no poll books exist for the eight
counties for that election.  I have looked at commonplace books from
politically active individuals, but they discuss how much livestock was
sold and not the election.

There may be diaries, unpublished letters, and other materials that I don't
know about.

I am looking especially for primary materials, although any suggestions for
secondary sources would be welcome.  Many scholars briefly discuss the
election, but they do not consider it at length.

Thank you in advance for your assistance with this.

Richard Labunski

Richard Labunski
School of Journalism and Telecommunications
University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0042
Office:  (859) 257-5719
Home fax:  (859) 873-3557
Internship Web site:  http://JATinternships.uky.edu
Author of:  The Educated Student: Getting the Most Out of Your College
Years <www.marleyandbeck.com>

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