Lukas Reinbold
18241662
Objective profile paper
The item I’ll be talking about is a diary called “Diary of John Smith, 1838–1842,” which is kept in the State Historical Society of Missouri’s Manuscript Collection in Columbia, MO. The diary is a handwritten account of everyday activities, ideas, and reflections recorded by Columbia, Missouri resident John Smith between the years of 1838 and 1842. A leather-bound notebook with roughly 200 lined pages makes up the diary. History lining its pages and seeping through onto its worn top. It is clear from the cover’s wear and discoloration throughout the years that it has been used regularly. Black ink is used in the writing, which appears to be legible, but there are a few smudges and ink patches here and there that make certain entries more difficult to read than others. (Smith, John, 3) As someone who is a second generation German immigrant living in Missouri. The reason I chose the diary that I did was I was interested in the history of the book and the insight it provided me into the German history of Missouri. I was raised in St. Louis, Mo so I have always been interested in the history of Missouri, and this diary offered me insight into the German history of Missouri.
About how the State Historical Society came into possession of the diary, the diary was given to the State Historical Society of Missouri in the 1950s by an unnamed donor. Unfortunately, there is no other information available regarding the prior owner or how they came to own the diary. One could only speculate who the previous owner was, possibly a family member or an heirloom passed down by someone else through the ages. However, the Society has established that a John Smith, who resided in Columbia, Missouri at the time the journal was written, was the author.
I used a digital copy of the manuscript that was made accessible on the State Historical Society of Missouri’s website to research the diary. I was able to read over the diary’s pages using the digital version, taking note of the history of the time that was being described in the diary. To better comprehend the journal’s contents and relevance, I also did research on John Smith and the historical setting of Columbia, Missouri, during the years covered by the diary.
The “Diary of John Smith, 1838–1842” offers a glimpse into Columbia, Missouri’s social, economic, and political climate in the early to mid-19th century. Missouri, only being officially declared a state in 1821, was a very young state. However, being a young state didn’t save it from the political fights facing the nation, being thrust into the national spotlight. Its population was expanding quickly, and the state was rife with social and political strife, most of which had its roots in the divisive subject of slavery.
Missouri was a site of particular interest during this time because it was a border state and stood between the Union’s free and slave states. The state had a sizable slave population, but was also a popular settling point for the German immigrants that were arriving into America in droves. The Germans were heavily anti slavery fearing it would lead to the end of the Union. Many German newspapers in Missouri spoke against the evils of slavery. Eventually thousands of German immigrants would help protect the vital arsenal in St. Louis during the civil war. (Parrish, William E, 35.) One of the most contentious political questions of the early 19th century was whether Missouri should join the Union as a free or slave state. The Missouri Compromise of 1820, which allowed Missouri to join the Union as a slave state while Maine was admitted as a free state, brought an end to this debate and momentarily preserved the Union’s balance between free and slave states.
John Smith’s diary offers a close-up view of daily life in Columbia against this backdrop of social and political upheaval. Frontier life was never known for being easy and Smith’s path was no less. Smith’s thoughts and opinions on a variety of subjects, including his profession as a farmer, personal relationships, and contacts with his community, are documented in his journal. He mentions crop failures, diseases, the challenge of finding trustworthy labor, and other challenges and uncertainties of life on the frontier in many of his entries.
While frontier life was known for being harsh, it brought along some advantages and beauty’s with it, things that made it worth the journey. The diary exhibited a spirit of optimism and a profound love for the splendor of the natural world. Smith frequently discusses the region’s ecology and fauna, the changing seasons, and the joys of hunting and fishing. You can tell he has a deep relationship with the land and a love of the rhythms of rural life through the poetry he wrote.
After reading through the diary, I believe that he wrote it primarily for himself rather than for a larger audience. The diary almost seems more like a collection of his thoughts more so than a story for an intended audience. The diary is incredibly intimate and self-reflective, and much of the entries are about Smith’s own feelings and thoughts. It is also evident that Smith viewed his journal as a record of his life and times because he frequently recorded important events like elections and calamities.
John Smith’s identity as the author of the diary is still somewhat a mystery. The only information he reveals about himself that is given in the diary is that he was a farmer and a resident of Columbia. However, we do get hints at who he was as a person and his characteristics. He strikes me as being smart, perceptive, and contemplative, with a strong love for his community and a keen appreciation and love for the natural world.
The journal also provides insight into the lives of German immigrants in Missouri at this time. Life on the frontier was rough, the midwest has unrelenting summers and winters, which is harsh on the German American farmers. German’s found themselves in the midst of a culture battle in America. Finding themselves at the forefront of the slavery debate, especially in contested swing states such as Missouri. Although Smith, himself was not a German immigrant he frequently socialized with German residents in his neighborhood and noted their experiences in his diaries. Many of these pioneers came to America at the middle of the 19th century as part of a larger German immigrant wave prompted by political turmoil and economic hardship in Germany. German immigrants made significant contributions to Missouri’s politics, economy, and agriculture. They also made differences on the national scale, providing a large base of anti-slavery support. Germans arguably are a large reason that the Republican party was able to be formed and rose to power.
The “Diary of John Smith, 1838–1842” paints a complete and nuanced picture of life in Missouri during a time of significant social and political change. We learn about the difficulties and potential of rural life on the frontier as well as the intricate social and political dynamics of a state that was attempting to find its place in a fast changing country.
Chicago Style Citations:
Parrish, William E. “The Civil War and Missouri’s German Americans: A Reconsideration.” Missouri Historical Review 81, no. 3 (1987): 265–284. https://digital.shsmo.org/digital/collection/mhr/id/16618/
Smith, John. “Diary of John Smith, 1838–1842.” Columbia, Missouri, 1838–1842. Manuscript Collection, State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia. https://files.shsmo.org/manuscripts/columbia/C3873.pdf
