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Subject: Netherlands -- Social conditions -- 19th century

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Letter from Jeanette Elkus to Isaac Leeser, Denekamp, Holland, December 5, 1862Letter from Jeanette Elkus to Isaac Leeser, Denekamp, Holland, December 5, 1862

Four-page letter written in English and Judeo-German by Jeanette Elkus to her uncle, Isaac Leeser, on December 5, 1862, from Denekamp, Holland. Elkus discusses the hardships caused by the American Civil War, her family's health, and her hopes for peace. The letter is written in neat cursive, though the English grammar is somewhat clumsy. This letter is a rare surviving example of family correspondence from Europe, chronologically the last in this collection. Jeanette Elkus was the daughter of Isaac Leeser's sister Leah, who married Hirsch Elkus and settled in Denekamp.

Letter from L. I. Akin in Amsterdam to his brother Eugene Akin in New Bedford, Massachusetts, July 19, 1820Letter from L. I. Akin in Amsterdam to his brother Eugene Akin in New Bedford, Massachusetts, July 19, 1820

Letter written by L. I. Akin in Amsterdam, Netherlands, to his brother Eugene Akin in New Bedford, Massachusetts, on July 19, 1820. Akin describes a ship in port bound for Philadelphia carrying a diverse group of passengers, including a notably large number of Jews (40) along with Germans, Italians, French, and a Turk. The letter provides insight into immigration patterns to the United States in 1820. Akin was a sailor awaiting passage back to the USA.