A Kansas Memory Podcast

Episode 7: Here's to you Mrs. Robinson

The documents used in the Robinsons podcast are available on Earlier Kansas Memory podcasts used documents from Territorial Kansas Online: A Virtual Repository for Territorial Kansas History, 1854-1861.

• Kansas, its interior and exterior life
  Published, 1856
  Sara Tappan Doolittle Robinson left Boston in 1855, to join her husband Charles in the newly founded Free State settlement of Lawrence, Kansas, and kept a diary on her journey to her new home. That diary became "Kansas, it's interior and exterior life".
• Letter, Charles Robinson to Sara Robinson
  September 29, 1856
  Again from Lawrence, Charles Robinson wrote to his wife was traveling east via Chicago. After kidding her about how well-known she was becoming, he commented unfavorably on Governor John W. Geary, who "thinks he is awful smart & is getting rediculous fast." Robinson also mentioned the forthcoming legislative election (October 6, 1856)--"We shall not vote."
• Letter, Charles Robinson to Sara Robinson
  October 1, 1857
  Another personal letter from a tired and somewhat discouraged Charles Robinson in Lawrence to his wife Sara, who is apparently about ready to rejoin her husband in Lawrence, as he d iscusses meeting her in St. Louis. Robinson made reference to business affairs, including those in Quindaro, and curiously suggests that he was "about ready to go with Mr. Grover to South America" because he was "getting sick of this turmoil & strife."
• Letter, Charles Robinson to Sara Robinson
  July 4, 1859
  From Quindaro, Charles Robinson wrote to inform his wife about matters of business pertaining to this young city on the Kaw. He believed "railroad matters look[ed] very well for Quindaro, for example. Robinson also takes this opportunity to scold his wife about her attitude toward the people of Lawrence, some of whom she apparently thought were 'aristocratic or exclusive but I know of no one more exclusive than yourself; I do not know whether from pride of Character or circumstance or something else."
• Letter, Sara Robinson to Charles Robinson
  May 7, 1860
  Another very personal letter from Sara in Lawrence to Charles back East. She wrote mostly of mundane matters but does mention speculation about Kansas admission and the Charleston convention.