Resources for the Study of Lord Jeffery Amherst and His Military Service in North America

Portraits of Jeffrey Amherst
Two depictions of Jeffery Amherst: (l) Lord Jeffery Amherst (1717-1797) by Thomas Gainsborough and (r) Lord Jeffery Amherst, 1st Lord (1717-1797) by Joshua Reynolds

Jeffery Amherst, First Baron Amherst (1717–1797), is a central figure in the history of the British colonies in North America during the mid-eighteenth century. Although he never personally visited the town of Amherst, which was named in his honor in 1759, the Archives & Special Collections at Amherst College does hold significant manuscripts, maps, and other primary source documents by and about Amherst and his times. Thanks to generous donations from many alumni, especially George Arthur Plimpton (Class of 1876) and Jack W. C. Hagstrom, MD (Class of 1955), Amherst College holds excellent resources for historians interested in British North America during the decades before the American Revolution. 

This guide is designed to assist researchers interested in digging into the complex history of Jeffery Amherst and the Anglo-American colonies during the conflicts known as the French and Indian War (The Seven Years War) and the Anglo-Indian War of 1763 (Pontiac’s Rebellion). It is divided into four sections, starting with primary source materials held by Amherst College and others. The second section of this guide is the largest and includes only published works that have undergone the rigorous process of peer review. Everything in this section is available through either Frost Library or the Five College Consortium. Links have been provided for all items that are available full-text online. Amherst College alumni who have published in this field are identified by class year. Section three includes material by Amherst students and faculty produced outside of the peer review process. Section four includes other independent historical scholarship that has not undergone peer review.