Correspondence: Elizabeth B. Kontaxaki to Carroll Spence., 07/28/1857-10/02/1857

Contains correspondence to Spence from Elizabeth B. Kontaxaki, an ethnic Greek woman, active in political, religious and educational interests of Greeks in Crete. She was well acquainted with Veley Pasha and Spence, as well as the Greek Patriarch and numerous foreign diplomats. Her letters to Spence detail reforms by Veley Pasha (also former Turkish ambassador to England and France); report on Pasha's admiration of American political ideas and of Spence, as well as on Pasha's proposal to obtain Cretan marble for the Washington Monument (then under construction) and coins for Spence's collection. Kontaxaki's letters total 8 sheets/17 pages, dated from Candia, July 28 and October 2, 1857. An autograph note by Spence about the letters and Kontaxaki is included: "These letters were written to me by Miss Kontaxaki, one of the most remarkale and best informed women with whom I ever became acquainted. She was educated by Mr. Hill at Athens. Her parents were killed by the Turks, and she escaped death by the merest accident. She spoke several languages with fluency and devoted herself to advancing the political and educational interests of the Greeks in Candia. For that purpose, she came to Constantinople and by her eloquent advocacy of the cause of its inhabitants elicited the sympathies and the influence of (...) and myself in behalf of her people - At her request I opened a correspondence with Veley Pasha (the son of Mustapha Pasha, for many years Governor General of Candia, but at that time Grand Vizier). Veley Pasha was one of the most enlightened Turks of the empire. He filled the post of minister to England and France and on the appointement of his father as Grand Vizier, he was sent to Candia as Governor General. Influenced by Miss Kontaxaki, he became a reformer..." @ The folder includes excerpts of the Kontaxaki letters to Spence, in Spence's hand.