Writing History: Stories of a Rare Manuscript Collection — research

What happens when a powerful statesman dies, leaving behind a financial mess, hostile relatives, and a mistress fighting for her survival? Explore the scandalous 18th-century saga of the 2nd Earl of Halifax and Anna Maria Faulkner, told through the firsthand accounts of the men hired to clean up the wreckage. Step inside a newly surfaced 1771 manuscript diary that documents a bitter estate dispute, Georgian high-society drama, and the literal burning of history.

Discover the month-long research journey to identify the owner of an 1810–1827 accounting ledger. Follow the historical paper trail that revealed George Davis, a mysterious New York shipmaster and merchant connected to Wall Street founders, elite kinship networks, and a massive 1820s bank fraud scandal.