Evidence at the MHS

The Massachusetts Historical Society holds a rich collection of manuscripts and printed materials related to the Parkman murder. One small collection of documents stems from the trial itself, including the notes Webster prepared for his lawyer, drafts of two appeals, a copy of the sentence, and an invitation to the execution. The MHS also has manuscript collections of George Bemis and John Henry Clifford, the prosecuting attorneys, and of Pliny Merrick and Edward D. Sohier, Webster's defense attorneys. Since many Bostonians not directly associated with the case still commented on it in their diaries and letters, one can also find traces of public opinion in other individual and family papers throughout the MHS holdings. The Society's collection of 19th-century publications includes many of the pamphlets and broadsides printed during and directly after the trial. For more information on broadsides at the MHS, please visit the Broadsides page on the Society's website.