The Leverett Saltonstall Papers document the political and legal activities of Leverett Saltonstall, attorney, member of the Massachusetts House and Senate, first mayor of Salem, and Congressman in the United States House of Representatives. Included is correspondence and legal documentation pertaining to civil and marine court proceedings, mayoral and congressional papers, speeches, and personal financial documents. The collection is organized into four series.

Series I. Personal Papers contains personal correspondence, business papers, and bills. Included herein are Saltonstall's commonplace books for 1799 and 1800, his ledger for 1804, a copy of his diary (January 1806-May 1807), and a variety of reference materials (1715-1807) that predate Saltonstall's legal career and were used as precedents for other cases. There are also two folders of papers relating to his handling of the affairs of Mary Perkins.

Series II. Maritime Cases pertains primarily to insurance claims against lost and/or damaged cargo, vessels damaged and/or lost, and piracy. Documentation includes ship manifests, correspondence, bills and receipts, lists of seamen and officers, requests for indemnification, depositions, and related court documents. A typical case is that of the schooner Bold Runner, a Marblehead fishing vessel that collided with an English brig on Georges Bank, May 14, 1831. The schooner, deserted by her crew, was found by the schooner Glide of Gloucester, towed to port, and sold at auction. The case deals with insurance claims of rectification.

A more unusual case is that of the barque Pacific, which was captured en route to Rotterdam by Danish privateers in April of 1809. The ship was carried to Christiansand, Norway, and condemned as a prize. The resulting claims against seizure and losses of flour, indigo, rice, and sugar spanned almost twenty years and the legal systems of three countries.

A list of the marine cases is contained in Appendix I.

The majority of the collection revolves around the Series III. Civil Cases. The papers relating to these cases run from 1755 to 1840 and involve all aspects of the law. This series is further broken down into four subseries: Real Estate, Probate, Litigation, and Criminal. Each subseries is arranged alphabetically.

One outstanding criminal case is Pike v. Green, 1835. Pike was accused of physically abusing his seven-year-old housemaid Sarah P. Jay, and then abandoning her in the poorhouse. The case notes are quite extensive and include depositions, court proceedings, and newspaper accounts of the trial.

The litigation case of John Manning et al. v. The Fifth Parish of Gloucester (1824-1827) includes a notebook detailing the history of the parish from its separation in 1754 from the First Parish of Gloucester and its organization as an autonomous precinct. Included is a list of individuals who, with John Manning, left the Fifth Parish.

The 1813 litigation case of Trustees of Phillips Academy v. James King offers documentation of the formation of the Andover Theological Seminary. King, executor of the will of Mary Norris, widow of a Phillips Academy benefactor, was accused of not clearing a debt for a sizeable legacy. Of related interest is the case of Murdock v. the Trustees of Phillips Academy. Murdock, an instructor at the Academy, was charged with the "want of sound orthodox" principles in divinity.

Series IV. Political Papers is further divided into four subseries. Subseries A. Federal papers relate to various federal issues, including some specific tariff issues, and constituents' correspondence. Subseries B. State papers involve issues and acts passed during Saltonstall's years in the state legislature and state judiciary. Subseries C. Salem papers involve various aspects of Salem government. Subseries D. Speeches and Journals contain speeches given by Saltonstall. See Appendix II for a list of speeches.