October 14, 2026
Readers,
If you’re a frequent visitor to the library, you’ve likely noticed that the site’s layout and design elements have recently been updated. As we look toward expanding the site’s collection of papers and speeches, this new layout will ensure that the content remains easily navigable and digestible. Some of these updates are also stylistic and aimed at better emulating the design sensibilities of colonial-era printed content.
Equally substantial are the backend changes to the site’s functionality, with updates to how the search function returns results and improvements to how related content is displayed. We hope you find these updates to be helpful to your digestion and appreciation of these important historical materials.
Since the launch of the library, our hope has been that improving access to these letters and speeches would allow citizens to better understand the fierce debate at the heart of our nation’s founding. As subjects of the Crown’s capricious rule, our nation’s founders had a deep appreciation for the dangers of unrestrained authority. Their warnings ring as true today as they did hundreds of years ago; while the aesthetics of tyranny have certainly evolved, its implications remain entirely the same.
As is often noted, modern scholarship continues to build on our understanding of these documents. Simply attributing authorship of the pseudonymous letters is a monumental task that requires a deep appreciation for not just the letters themselves, but also the historical context surrounding their creation and publication. We thank those who take up the difficult work of uncovering the identities of their authors and shedding light on their intentions.
Whether you’re an enthusiast or a scholar, we invite you to reach out with your thoughts, comments, and suggestions about the library and its contents. Your feedback is important as we attempt to build a library that honors both the documents and the needs of its visitors.
You can reach us directly by emailing [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you.