In the first decades following the Revolution, a few Americans recognized the urgency, importance, and value of collecting and preserving American historical documents. One of the most successful of the group was Peter Force, a dynamic man who contributed to his world as a collector, printer, publisher, writer, and politician. Through his efforts, one of the largest contemporary collections of American historical materials was assembled and part of it published for future writers of American history.

Peter Force was born near Passaic Falls, New Jersey, on 26 November 1790. He was the second of six children born to William Force, a Revolutionary War veteran, and Sarah Ferguson Force. After Peter's birth, the family moved to New Paltz, Ulster County, New York, before finally settling in New York City in 1793. Young Peter Force grew up in New York and attended private school, although his education was quite brief. At the age...