The collection contains the personal and business records of Samuel Hodges, Jr. including financial accounts, ledger books, military records, correspondence, and ephemera. It also contains a significant number of records related to the trading vessels that Hodges Jr. had contact with in his position as American Consulate, along with record books created by Hodges while in this position. The collection is arranged into four series.

Series I. Ships' Records contains records documenting the trading activities of vessels from America and Europe to points in West Africa. Many different types of vessels are represented in this collection and their ports of origin range from Salem and Portsmouth to Portugal, Brazil, and England. Hodges Jr. had contact with all of these ships as American Consulate, and frequently engaged in commission business that required the use of such vessels to conduct his personal trade. Several ships, including the schooner First Attempt and the brig Janet Maria, were owned in part by Hodges Jr.

Series I is divided into nine subseries. The first seven subseries, Ironsides (Brig), John (Brig), Oswego (Brig), Robert Patten (Brig), Romp (Brig), Ruby (Brig), and Union (Brig) are individually designated due to the richness of their holdings. Records include those of financial transactions, including bills, disbursements, receipts, sales, and invoices, as well as manifests, cargo records, accounts current, correspondence, and various customs records. The eighth subseries, Other Vessels' Records, contains records of varying quantity for almost 100 different ships that either traded in or travelled through West Africa during Hodges Jr.'s tenure as American Consulate. These records are organized alphabetically by ship's name; the amount of records for each ship varies considerably. Records for these vessels typically include bills, invoices, cargo records, customs forms, and correspondence. The ninth subseries, Account Books, contains bound volumes of sales, disbursements, invoices and accounts current for multiple ships Hodges Jr. dealt with while in Cape Verde.

Series II. Financial Records documents the personal financial history of Samuel Hodges Jr. during his time in Cape Verde. It is divided into three subseries. The first subseries, Personal Accounts, contains a chronological record of Hodges Jr.'s bills, orders, and receipts. These records are of Hodges Jr.'s personal purchases and business, and are not directly related to specific vessels, which is why they have been separated. The second subseries, Accounts with Individuals, documents Hodges Jr.'s transactions with numerous individuals, typically other traders. Accounts are arranged alphabetically by the individual's name, and may include accounts current, bills, and receipts. Finally the third subseries, Ledger Books, contains two personal Ledger Books belonging to Hodges Jr., one recording cash transactions, the other charting various bills and expenses primarily related to a home improvement project.

Series III. Personal Papers, contains records related to the personal life of Samuel Hodges Jr. This series is divided into three subseries. The first, Military Service Records, consists of a folder documenting Hodges Jr.'s time as a member of the 40th Regiment of Infantry, recruiting in Stoughton and Boston during the War of 1812. Correspondence related to military service is included in this subseries. The second subseries, Correspondence, contains letters written to Hodges Jr. throughout the course of his lifetime, arranged chronologically. Many are letters of introduction given to Hodges Jr. by travelers hoping to establish themselves in West Africa. Finally, the third subseries, Other Records, contains a folder of various notes, memos, and deeds accumulated by or written by Hodges over the years, as well as a small hand-illustrated book containing copied verse, presumably the possession of a descendent.

Series IV. American Consulate Records includes record books and correspondence created by Hodges Jr. while serving as American Consulate in Cape Verde. The first subseries, Record Books, includes record books documenting protests, entrances, clearances and accounts of vessels and merchants who met with Hodges Jr. The second subseries, Correspondence, includes formal business correspondence written by Hodges Jr. in a bound letter book.