This index to the Despatches from U.S. Ministers to Paraguay and Uruguay, 1858-1906, collection provides the dates each reel covers. Government Information MAY NOT hold all of these reels. The record in the library catalog describes the extent of our holdings. For help, or to make an appointment to view a reel, email rad@colorado.edu
Diplomatic despatches consist of reports, with related enclosures, to the Department of State from its diplomatic representatives in foreign countries. They relate to all phases of U.S. diplomatic relations with foreign countries and to the administration of U.S. legations and embassies. The despatches reply to diplomatic instructions and reports on economic, political, and social conditions in a specific geographical area; piracy; the protection of missionaries; prohibition of the opium trade; floods, famines, and epidemics; treaties and arrangements; and activities of U.S. citizens or officials. Among the related enclosures are newspaper clippings, copies of notes to and from the foreign offices of various countries, publications, and ceremonial letters. Some communications are marked “Private” or “Confidential.”
The despatches are arranged chronologically within each publication. There are separate publications for each country, except in cases where U.S. diplomatic officers were accredited to more than one government, as in Central America. Each despatch gives the name of the writer, the date received and a digest of the contents.
The spreadsheet attached below contains a reel-by-reel description of the complete collection.