ABSTRACT
James Matheson wrote letters from Lansingburgh, in Rensselaer County, New York. The town was founded in 1807, so Matheson is writing in the town's infancy. He is writing to his brother, Angus Matheson, in Dornoch, Sutherland, Scotland. The letter of 20 June 1815 reveals he is a merchant suffering the difficult economy of that time and place – due mainly to the war with Napoleon and the trade embargoes. He mentions that he may try his luck in Nova Scotia (though his letter of 1844 is also written from New York). Especially interesting are Matheson's comments on American politics, accurately describing the Federalists (the 'Federals') and Democratic-Republicans (the 'Democrates') with regard to their policies towards France and Britain. Peace between Britain and the United States had only recently been signed (just before Andrew Jackson's victory in New Orleans, in January of that year), so Matheson is living in a land recently at war with his homeland.
