The Crowninshield Family Papers are comprised of business, political, and personal papers of the George Crowninshield family from 1697-1909. The bulk of the papers are those of John Crowninshield which concern family shipping affairs from 1795-1815. The collection is divided into seven series.

Other than the material included in the ships' papers, all correspondence between George, Sr., his sons, and their wives is filed with the recipient. This family correspondence contains information on the health of family members, the financial status of Richard Crowninshield, current mercantile affairs in the family shipping business, and political and social events in Salem. Additionally, the activities of family members other than the correspondents are often mentioned in these letters. All non-family correspondence includes incoming and outgoing letters. This is largely correspondence from merchant houses, business associates, political figures, and friends of the family. Depending upon the addressee, they can relate to shipping affairs (John and Richard Crowninshield), political appointments (Jacob and Benjamin Crowninshield) or the health of family members. For additional details on the contents of correspondence in this collection, see the descriptions within each series below.

Series I. Crowninshield Family Ships' Papers consists of correspondence, accounts, receipts, drawings, insurance papers, legal papers, and crew lists associated with ships owned, mastered, captured, or chartered by George Crowninshield or his sons (See Appendix I). The majority of the ships' papers concern mercantile voyages from 1800-1820 to Europe and Asia. Because many of these vessels were commanded by family members, additional details of Crowninshield voyages may be extracted from the family correspondence received by the individual family members. Of particular interest are the papers of ship America, which document an 1801 pepper voyage from Sumatra and the subsequent export of the pepper from Salem to Bordeaux. The papers of Cleopatra's Barge include a reproduction of the original crew list and letterbooks with copies of letters of introduction from various American officials on behalf of George Crowninshield, Jr. The "Historic Material" folder contains printed announcements of the sale of the vessel (1817), correspondence relating to the vessel, notes, newspaper clippings, and labels from a 1916 Peabody Museum of Salem exhibit mounted on the centennial of the ship's construction. The papers of brig Diomede contain extensive accounts from the construction of the vessel in 1809-1810. Additional information on the Crowninshield's privateering efforts is located in Series' II and IV. For more information on the voyage of the brig Dido to Archangel, consult the brig Telemachus papers. For spoliation claims of ship Margaret see also ship Golden Age. Correspondence concerning the financial difficulties of Richard Crowninshield is located among the papers of brig Sylph, as the vessel was sold to John on the eve of Richard's bankruptcy.

Series II. George Crowninshield (1734-1815) Papers extend from 1765-1822 and include the papers of his son George, Jr. (1766-1817) and the family shipping firm, George Crowninshield and Sons. George Crowninshield, Sr.'s papers contain family correspondence received from his sons that generally concerns the voyages of Crowninshield's vessels and mercantile finances. His papers include his own valuations of his estate in 1809 and 1814. The papers of his son George, Jr. also contain family correspondence concerning shipping activities. The papers of the family shipping firm George Crowninshield and Sons have official correspondence from family members on shipping and business affairs. Many of these are letters between Richard and merchant agents in America and abroad. The privateer memorandum books consist of instructions, agreements, crew lists associated with the private armed vessels America, John, and Jefferson, lists of prizes, and their cargoes and crews. The firm's account book is mostly concerned with shipping but also documents the division of the firm's assets and liabilities amongst the component family members.

Series III. Jacob Crowninshield (1770-1808) Papers cover the years 1785-1835. Subseries A. Correspondence consists of letters from his father and brothers on business affairs and letters from his wife, Sally, on personal and local news after 1804. Of particular interest are Sally's letters of February 1805 which influenced Jacob's decision to refuse President Jefferson's appointment as Secretary of the Navy. A large portion of the non-family correspondence is made up of transcripts of Jacob's letters copied by William C. Endicott in 1889 from the Jefferson papers then held at the United States Department of State. This material is largely concerned with foreign and domestic political affairs. The William Bentley correspondence is almost entirely comprised of transcripts of letters to Bentley. These letters provide personal perspectives on national political issues including the Louisiana Purchase. Bentley's replies are scarce and express his opinions of local and national issues. The Nathanial Silsbee correspondence is made up of transcripts of correspondence from Jacob to Silsbee. This is largely personal and business correspondence that provides information on other family members and their shipping activities.

Subseries B. Personal Papers includes a copy of Jacob's commission as Secretary of the Navy, estate, guardianship, and various legal papers. Subseries C. Family Papers include material related to the William Crowninshield estate and a Jacob Crowninshield Rogers biography

Series IV. John Crowninshield (1771-1842) Papers extend from 1789-1897 and are divided into four subseries. Subseries A. Correspondence, is almost entirely devoted to shipping and business affairs between John, his father, and his brothers. A series of original bound letters (letterbooks) include both incoming and outgoing correspondence. Some of these letterbooks were assembled by John's son John Casper Crowninshield (1820-1878) and were used as sources for his family history.

Subseries B. Shipping and Business Papers are generally comprised of administrative materials related to Crowninshield shipping activities and papers that document John's efforts at diversification through real estate investments in Maine and other businesses in New Orleans. The account book/letterbook contains further correspondence regarding the voyages of ship Belisarius to India and ship America to Mauritius and Sumatra. The accounts are primarily related to the crew of the Belisarius but also concern the cargo carried on that voyage.

Subseries C. Personal Papers includes Crowninshield's manuscripts "Salem to Pittsburg, "and "Vindication of the Seaman's Character," two navigation lesson books, accounts and receipts, and printed material.

Subseries D. Family Papers are comprised of materials relative to John's wife and children. Maria Crowninshield's correspondence is comprised of personal letters she received from John and her sisters. Maria Louisa Crowninshield's journal describes her summer vacation spent at Danvers and a number of day trips to other localities including Andover and Gloucester. There are embroidery letters sketched by Louisa Crowninshield Bacon (born 1842), and a photograph album. John Casper Crowninshield's papers are almost entirely made up of historical research on the family based upon his father's papers. "The Buried Treasure Found" is a novel depicting the discovery of treasure on an unknown island in the Pacific Ocean in 1784. Charles B. Crowninshield's papers include an essay on military fortifications and a scrapbook of orders, correspondence, and accounts from Company E, 1st Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers during the Mexican-American War.

Series V. Benjamin Crowninshield (1772-1851) Papers cover from 1791-1881 and are divided into three subseries. Subseries A. Correspondence includes family correspondence from brothers-in-law Nathaniel Silsbee and John Rice. Letters dated before 1820 are primarily concerned with family shipping activities. As the family shipping activities decreased after 1820 the family correspondence became more personal in nature. Mary's letters to Benjamin in the spring of 1830 document the hysteria in Salem after the murder of Captain Joseph White and the progress of the trial of Richard and George Crowninshield. Non-family correspondence includes a number of letters from nationally prominent statesmen (see Appendix II). The material represents an important source on the history of the American Navy in the years following the War of 1812. A large corpus of correspondence with Benjamin Homans, an administrator in the Navy Department, provides detail on the management of ships, personnel, and material. Correspondence from Susan Decatur concerns her efforts to receive a pension from the Navy for the work of her husband Stephen Decatur.

Subseries B. Personal Papers includes estate papers, accounts, receipts, legal papers, certificates, and printed matter related to Crowninshield's private life.

Subseries C. Family Papers contain a series of letters received by Mary B. Crowninshield from Benjamin in Washington, D.C. initially describing Jacob's health before his death and discussing political and social affairs. Later correspondence is almost entirely devoted to social activities in Washington and personal matters. There are also a number of personal letters from Mary's brothers and sisters in this folder. Material after 1830 is dominated by letters from her children. Miscellaneous family correspondence is largely made up of correspondence with Mary Boardman (Mary B. Crowninshield's mother) and letters received by Benjamin's children.

Series VI. Richard Crowninshield (1774-1884) Papers extend from 1789-1832 and are mostly comprised of materials relating to his shipping activities and financial difficulties. The family correspondence is made up of letters from his brothers regarding the family shipping business. Non-family correspondence is also generally associated with shipping activities and accounts with various merchant houses. The 1815 broadside is entitled "Death of Crowninshield, the Salem Murderer" and contains a poem about the accused murderer's suicide.

Series VII. Miscellaneous Papers run from 1697-1909 and are divided into two subseries. Subseries A. Family Papers include the Crowninshield (alias India) Wharf papers, which document the sale of the property and an agreement between Joseph G. Waters and Stephen C. Phillips to repair the wharf by popular subscription. Francis B. Crowninshield (1809-1877) assisted in securing the title to the property. The Derby/Crowninshield ancestral tablets were probably compiled by William C. Endicott. The 1697 deed concerns a land purchase of Elizabeth Allen (either von Kronensheldt's wife or mother in-law). Miscellaneous family papers are materials associated with the family but not directly related to George Crowninshield or his sons. The unidentified items are believed to be from family members, but cannot positively be associated with an individual.

Subseries B. Non-Family Papers include correspondence between John Hathorne, Jr. and Isaac Mitchell of Poughkeepsie, New York regarding the vacant editorial post at the Salem Register.