Help on Searching

You can search the correspondence for any words (text). You can narrow your search by time period, names, document type, topics, and/or places. Please refer to the [help] link next to each search type for details on how each one works.

To search by name, go to For a person or organization. The entry field is dynamic: enter one or more letters of the name to search on, and a popup list will show all the possible choices beginning with those letters. Navigate down the list to select a name. Typing * in the entry field will bring up the complete list of all searchable names.

To search by document type, go to By document type and select one (or more, by clicking while pressing your Control or Command key, depending on your system)

To search by time period, go to By time period(s) and select one or more of the five choices.

To search by topic, go to By topic(s) and select one (or more).

To search by place, go to By place and select a single place name. The Place Browser is a separate page that allows you to navigate a hierarchical tree of places.

You can choose from all four of these categories to narrow down your choice. Try searching for "Jackson, Andrew" during the "First Lady Years" under the topic of "War of 1812." You can mix and match as much as you like.

[Detailed help]