Although containing a range of materials, the collection is principally concerned with Venezuela's war of independence. Information concerning the Spanish army can be found in the bound Libro de ordenes de la Capitania General de la provincia de Maracaybo, Venezuela, a registry of governmental acts dating from March 19, 1812, to December 5, 1820, and in the correspondence of Pablo Morillo y Morillo, marques de la Puerta to Francisco Ramon de Eguia, the Spanish minister of war, containing detailed information on the progress of the war both in the text of the letters and in the enclosures.

Other manuscripts relating to the war of independence include Andres Boggiero's Ydeas sobre la costa firme o` Caracas; an oversize Estado que manifiesta la fuerza y Planas mayores de Cumana Yndependiente dated October 25, 1811; a treaty concerning the conduct of the war, signed on November 26-27, 1820, by Antonio Jose de Sucre and Pablo Morillo y Morillo, marques de la Puerta; Simon Bolivar's Reglamento que debera observarse para eleccion de Gefe Supremo de la Republica caso de que por qualquier accidente muera, o sea tomado prisionero por el Enemigo, el actual; and correspondence of several of the leading figures in the war.

Two items in the collection directly relate to the founding of the Republica de Gran Colombia: the Ley fundamental de la Republica de Colombia and the Reglamento provisional para la Presidencia de la Republica, both signed by Francisco Antonio Zea.

The collection also contains some items from Venezuela's colonial period, important among these is the Documents concerning construction at La Guaira, forty-eight manuscripts dating from June 23, 1775, to July 31, 1793; a folio size map of the fort on the Orinoco River; and an eighteenth century copy of Pedro de Aguado's Historia de Venezuela y Nuevo Reyno de Granada, probably written in 1581, published in 1950 (F2332 .A282).

The correspondents in the collection are Jose Fernando de Abascal y Souza, marques de Concordia; Juan Manuel Aldao; Jose Escolastico Andrade; R. Maria Baralt; Andres Bello; Simon Bolivar; Juan Estanislao Castaneda; Manuel Cedeno; Giovanni Battista Agostino Codazzi; Jose Cortes Madariaga; Sancho Fernandez de Angulo y Sandoval; Antonio Leocadio Guzman; Antonio Guzman Blanco; Miguel Herrera; Alejandro de Hore; Rafael de Merida; Francisco de Miranda; Tomas Montilla; Pablo Morillo y Morillo, marques de la Puerta; Daniel Florencio O'Leary; Jose Joaquin de Olmedo y Maruri; Jose Antonio Paez; Juan German Roscio; Bartolome Salom; Juan Jose Samano y Urribarri de Rebollar y Mazorra; Carlos Soublette; Antonio Jose de Sucre; Francisco del Toro, marques del Toro; Rafael Urdaneta; Manuel Valdes; Jose Verroz; and Francisco Antonio Zea.

Note on Indexing Term - "Law": There is a large quantity of legal material pertaining to Latin America in these collections. Royal and viceregal decrees, both de oficio and de parte, are especially numerous.

Note on Indexing Term - "Religion": A large quantity of this material relates to religious matters.

Note on Indexing Term - "West (U.S.)" and "Americana": There are items pertaining to early settlements and colonial government in Texas, California and New Mexico, and information on Texas independence.