Peter Force (1790-1868)
Mayor of Washington D.C., and Collector of Americana
He was born in Passaic Falls, New Jersey. He learned the printer's trade while living in New York City and, in 1815, he moved to Washington, D.C. As a printer and publisher, he became known for his interest in early American history and for his 60,000-volume library of books, manuscripts, and other materials, which he sold to the Library of Congress in 1867. He is recognized for his efforts to collect and edit historical documents. One of his most important projects was American Archives, a published version of primary source materials related to the American Revolution; the project was only partially completed after Congress pulled Force's funding in 1853. He served as mayor of Washington, D.C., from 1836 to 1840.