does anyone know of a primary source document (letter, speech, etc) about president chester alan arthur?

Answer 1

If you are looking for ORIGINALS (including photographed copies of originals) this will not be easy, because Arthur ordered most of his papers burned the day before he died! There seem to be a handful of letters that survived and are held by the Library of Congress.

See the note on the following page from the University of Arkansas Library.
http://libinfo.uark.edu/SpecialCollections/findingaids/civilwar1.html

For the content of many of his documents as President, beginning with his inaugural address you might look here:
http://books.google.com/books?id=Ya6FlAQ9kQoC&pg=PA104&lpg=PA104&dq=copy+of+letter+from+chester+a+arthur&source=web&ots=PUkFQAHKFz&sig=OptRPjfePEPrww6eGfzrKD6uFIc#PPA33,M1

Answer 2

American President: An Online Reference Resource
In-depth information reviewed by prominent scholars on each President and administration
Chester Alan Arthur (1829 - 1886)

Chester Alan Arthur
21st President of the United States (1881-1885)
Born: October 5, 1829, Fairfield, Vermont

Nickname: "The Gentleman Boss"

Religion: Episcopalian

Marriage: October 25, 1859, to Ellen Lewis Herndon (1837-1880)

Children: William Lewis Herndon (1860-1863), Chester Alan (1864-1937), Ellen Herndon (1871-1915)

Education: Union College (graduated 1848)

Career: Lawyer

Political Party: Republican

Died: November 18, 1886, New York, New York

Buried: Albany, New York

A Life in Brief: Chester Arthur was the fifth child of a fervent abolitionist preacher who moved his family from one Baptist parish to the next throughout New York and Vermont. Attending Union College, Arthur showed far more interest in extracurricular activities and political demonstrations than in his studies. More....


Essays on Chester Alan Arthur and His Administration

Chester Arthur
A Life in Brief • Life Before the Presidency • Campaigns and Elections • Domestic Affairs • Foreign Affairs • Life After the Presidency • Family Life • The American Franchise • Impact and Legacy • Key Events
First Lady
Mary McElroy
Secretary of State
Frederick T. Frelinghuysen (1881 - 1885) • James G. Blaine (1881 - 1881)
Secretary of War
Robert Todd Lincoln (1881 - 1885)
Postmaster General
Thomas L. James (1881 - 1881) • Timothy O. Howe (1881 - 1883) • Walter Q. Gresham (1883 - 1884) • Frank Hatton (1884 - 1885)
Secretary of the Interior
Samuel J. Kirkwood (1881 - 1882) • Henry M. Teller (1882 - 1885)
Secretary of the Treasury
William Windom (1881 - 1881) • Charles J. Folger (1881 - 1884) • Hugh McCulloch (1884 - 1885) • Walter Q. Gresham (1884 - 1884)
Attorney General
Isaac Wayne McVeagh (1881 - 1881) • Benjamin H. Brewster (1882 - 1885)
Secretary of the Navy
William H. Hunt (1881 - 1882) • William E. Chandler (1882 - 1885)


Consulting Editor: Justus Doenecke

Professor Doenecke is a professor emeritus of history at the New College of Florida. His writings include:

The Presidencies of James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur (University Press of Kansas, 1981)

Debating Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Foreign Policies, 1933-1945 (With Mark S. Stoler, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2005)

Presidential Speeches
Below are selections from the Miller Center's Chester Alan Arthur speech collection. To view the Miller Center's other speeches by Chester Alan Arthur or by another President, please click one of the two links at the bottom of the page.

December 6, 1881 - First Annual Message
Miller Center Scholarship and Speakers
The Miller Center of Public Affairs is a national nonpartisan center to research, reflect, and report on American government, with special attention to the central role and history of the presidency. Below is a selection of Miller Center resources on Chester Alan Arthur.

Listen Tony Coelho’s 1989 presentation at the Miller Center on the Electoral Process and the Selection of President and Vice Presidents

Click here to learn more about the Center’s National Commission on the Vice Presidency and

Click link below for more info. All of the speechs are there. Its a very nice web site! :)

Answer 3

I couldn't find anything online for you - but docs do exist. You should try your local library or historical society. The librarian will be able to help you - you could even call first and ask if they have anything. You might want to look for books that have many presidential speeches or letters as well.

Answer 4

See Below.