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Special Collections Research Center
William & Mary Special Collections Research CenterEarl Gregg Swem Library
400 Landrum Dr
Williamsburg, Virginia
Business Number: 757-221-3090
spcoll@wm.edu
URL: https://libraries.wm.edu/libraries-spaces/special-collections
Bryleigh Jackson
Administrative Information
Conditions Governing Use
Before publishing quotations or excerpts from any materials, permission must be obtained from the Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.
Preferred Citation
Simon Snyder papers, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries.
Biographical / Historical
Simon Snyder was the third governor of Pennsylvania, and the first of German descent. Born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania on November 5, 1759, Snyder's political journey began as a justice of peace, forging a path that would lead him to the highest office in the state. Rising through the ranks of local government, such as his service in the House of Representatives from 1797 to 1805, Snyder's dedication garnered him widespread support, culminating in his election as the third governor of Pennsylvania in 1808. He served as governor from 1808 to 1817 (he was re-elected two times), and was best known for leading Pennsylvania through the War of 1812. Governor Simon Snyder died in Sellinsgrove, Pennsylvania on November 9, 1819.
General Simon Snyder, Governor Simon Snyder's grandson, was born February 9, 1839 in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. He was best known for his military service in the Civil War, the Philippine-American War, and the Spanish-American War. He was heavily decorated, promoted to Brigadier General in the Army on April 16, 1902, and retired on May 10, 1902. General Snyder died in Reading, Pennsylvania on April 12, 1913.
Content Description
Family papers of Governor Simon Snyder of Pennsylvania and his grandson, General Simon Snyder, brigadier general in Cuba and the Philippines. 56 items: 13 letters, 7 other manuscripts, 17 photographs, and 19 pieces of ephemera.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
- Cebu Island (Philippines)
- German Americans
- German Americans--History--19th century--Sources
- Pennsylvania--Genealogy
- Pennsylvania--History
- Pennsylvania--History--19th century
- Pennsylvania--Lancaster County--History
- Philippines -- History -- Philippine American War, 1899-1902 -- Campaigns
- Philippines--History--Philippine American War, 1899-1902
- Spanish-American War, 1898
- Spanish-American War, 1898 -- Campaigns -- Cuba
- Spanish-American War, 1898--Personal Narratives
- United States--History--War of 1812
- United States-Military History
Significant Places Associated With the Collection
- Cebu Island (Philippines)
- Pennsylvania--Genealogy
- Pennsylvania--History--19th century
- Pennsylvania--Lancaster County--History
- Philippines -- History -- Philippine American War, 1899-1902 -- Campaigns
Container List
This document is an undated application card filled out by Simon Snyder to apply to join The Pennsylvania-German Society. The application includes various questions such as name, address, occupation, parents names, and date of birth to verify if the applicant is German. The Pennsylvania-German Society was founded in 1764 and is the oldest German-American organization in the country.
This file contains three newspaper clippings about Colonel Simon Snyder's battle and campaign victory on the island of Cebu during the Philippine-American War. The battle lasted September 22-24th, 1899. Colonel Snyder and 517 soliders of the Sixth, Nineteenth, Twenty-Third Infantry, a detachment of the Sixth Artillery, and volunteers from Tennessee aided in this effort to successfully push Cebuano rebels to the Southwest portion of the city.
This file contains biographical information about Simon Snyder. There are three documents in this file. Two of the papers are identical and include a drawing of Simon Snyder and information about his life, and the other document is a small biographical booklet written by Benjamin F. Snyder. According to the documents, Simon Snyder was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on November 5, 1759, was the Governor of Pennsylvania from 1808-1817, and he died in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania on November 9, 1819.
This file contains 10 items, consisting of photographs, letters, envelopes, programs, and invitations. Each item in the file is related to Colonel James Ronayne. Colonel James Ronayne was Simon Snyder's son-in-law.
This file contains multiple letters and correspondence between Simon Snyder and various people. Some of these letters are handwritten, some were written with a typewriter. Most of the letters are in English, while a few are in Spanish.
This file contains seven items related to Simon Snyder. It is inclusive of a theater ticket, a Christmas program, an article that has Simon Snyder's name in it, a postcard, a museum exhibition pamphlet about Snyder, and two identical cardboard cut-outs of the profile of a male figure wearing a hat and a bowtie.
This file includes two identical programs for Founder's Day at Susquehanna University on November 24, 1909. The program lists the speakers of the event in order, and the exact events of the day. The program was written in green ink.
This file contains a booklet issued by the Northumberland Lodge No. 196 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellow (I.O.O.F.) of the State of Pennsylavania, and certifies that on April 19, 1876, M.L. Snyder was admitted to this lodge. The booklet also contains the constituion, by-laws, and rules of order for the lodge.
This file contains fifteen photographs and one drawing that include various family, individual, and architectural photos. Within the file, photographs 2,3,and 4 are photos of General Simon Snyder. The 14th item is a drawing of Governor Simon Synder's home, and the 15th photograph is of a monument erected to honor Governor Synder's legacy.