Charles Kuhlman was born on January 15, 1872 in Davenport, Iowa and served in the Nebraska militia as a lieutenant. He attended the University of Nebraska, received a Master's Degree in History in 1897, and continued his historical studies in Europe. In 1900, he received a PhD. from the University of Zurich. After spending the next three years doing research in Germany and France, Kuhlman returned to teach history at the University of Nebraska and was appointed head of European History. Kuhlman taught for only one year before retiring due to an increasing deafness. Kuhlman became a farmer and in his spare time he continued to study and write history. In 1916, Kuhlman moved to Billings, Montana where he became interested in the events surrounding the Battle of Little Bighorn. With the exception of the unpublished essay Kuhlman wrote in reaction to Colonel Hughes' Custer history and a copy of his work done for the Encyclopedia Britannica, Kuhlman's Western Americana scholarship was purchased by Michael J. Koury and later sold to Brigham Young University. Charles Kuhlman's interest in military tactics and revolt remained a central focus in his historical research. His earlier scholarship concentrated primarily on the Jacobin cause and other revolutionary societies of the French Revolution. Kuhlman continued to revise his earlier writings through the 1950s, hoping to publish a definitive text on Jacobin history. Charles Kuhlman died in Billings, Montana in 1959.
The Charles Kuhlman papers consist of letters, research notes, literary manuscripts and printed materials and are arranged according to Kuhlman's activities. His correspondence refers to his life as a farmer as well as to his historical scholarship, primarily on the French Revolution. The biographical materials on Kuhlman discuss both his personal and professional endeavors and contain miscellaneous personal writings, newsclippings and Fay Kuhlman's writings on Kuhlman's life. Kuhlman's teaching materials contains outlines for the teaching of European History and a list of "suggestions" he composed to introduce new approaches for examining this history. Kuhlman's research materials has been divided into 3 subseries according to document type. Subseries 1, Notes, contains Kuhlman's notes taken as a Master's and PhD. student and come from both secondary and primary sources. His list of scholarly goals, written in the early twentieth century, is contained in Box 2, file 14. Kuhlman's notes are written in 3 languages; English, French and German. Subseries 2, Writings, contains Kuhlman's unpublished writings. An early draft of his dissertation essay on Mably and his larger work, an untitled history of French revolutionary societies, shows the evolution of Kuhlman's scholarship. Subseries 3, Historical Documents and Journals, contains primarily published, academic writings on the French Revolution. Journals are largely written in French. Kuhlman's notes on the texts are indicated by [marginalia] following the journal citation. Kuhlman's Published Manuscripts relate primarily to the Jacobin Club. The final series in the collection contains photographs of Kuhlman from 1903 to 1957 as well as a turn-of-the-century photograph and postcard of the La Chambre des Députés in Paris.
Series 1 Correspondence, 1911-1957
Series 2 Biographical Materials, circa 1956-1959
Series 3 Teaching Materials, 1903-1904
Series 4 Research Materials, 1896-1959
Subseries 1 - Notes
Subseries 2 - Writings
Subseries 3 - Historical Documents and Journals
Series 5 Published Manuscripts, 1900-1911
Series 6 Photographs, circa 1903-1957
This collection is open for research.
Professional papers created or collected by Dr. Charles Kuhlman relating to the French Revolution were donated to Special Collections by his daughter-in-law, Mrs. Fred (Fay) Kuhlman of Bearcreek, Montana on May 23, 1973.
This collection was processed 2009 March 3
Correspondence refers to both Kuhlman's personal and professional life. His continuing interest in writing and publishing on French revolutionary topics is highlighted in the letters from Kathryn Wright and the University of Nebraska as well as the corresponding outgoing letters found in file 5. Incoming letters are arranged alphabetically. Outgoing letters are in file 5.
Notes, essays, and other papers pertaining to Kuhlman's life, created or collected by himself or others. The most complete biographical essay is found in Fay Kuhlman's writings. The newspaper clippings on Kuhlman focus on his continuing historical scholarship while in Montana.
Teaching materials are largely in outline form and pertain to his year of teaching European History at the University of Nebraska. His list of "suggestions" in file 12 presents his goals and insights into future possibilities for European historical interpretations and works.
Essays, notes, manuscripts, and printed materials created or collected by Kuhlman primarily in support of his investigations of European history. The materials have been organized in three subseries: Notes, Writings, and Historical Documents and Journals.
Notes refers to Kuhlman's record and comments on European History and the French Revolution. Notes have been separated according to either his Master's Degree work or his PhD. work and contain information from both primary and secondary sources. His Master's notes are course related, are written in English and are arranged according to topic. "Special Topics" contains notes on issues relating to the French Parliament of 1787-1788. His PhD. notes are written in 3 languages: French, German and English. Many of the notes in French and German are from primary sources and are transcribed documents which are contained in French and German archives. The majority of primary source notes are found in his work on the French Revolution in Box 2, files 1-7.
Writings of Kuhlman's unpublished scholarly works on the French Revolution, particularly the Jacobin Society. Kuhlman's untitled history shows his work over 6 decades as well as his respect for and use of F.A. Aulard's scholarship. Writings are arranged chronologically, according to when Kuhlman began writing them. His graduate school essays are found at the in two notebooks at the beginning of the subseries and his Custer essay at the end.
Kuhlman's collection of published materials relating to the French Revolution and 1 handwritten (transcribed) copy of the Commité d'Administration's constitution. Most all are in French and from the early twentieth century. Kuhlman's notations on the texts are indicated by [marginalia] following the citation. Documents are arranged alphabetically.
Original, reprinted, and galley proofs of Kuhlman's published writings on the French Revolution and revolutionary societies. Pamphlets are arranged alphabetically by title.
Photographs contain black and white prints of Kuhlman and his family from 1903 to 1957. File 9, contains a turn-of-the-century photograph of the interior of the La Chambre des Députés and a postcard of the exterior.