Guide to New Year's resolutions written by Calvin Jewett C0361
New Year's resolutions written by Calvin Jewett
George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center
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Fairfax, Virginia 22030
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speccoll@gmu.edu
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Amanda Brent
Administrative Information
Use Restrictions
Public Domain. There are no known restrictions.
Access Restrictions
There are no access restrictions.
Alternative Form Available
A digitized version of this document can be found here: New Year's resolutions written by Calvin Jewett.
Preferred Citation
New Year's resolutions written by Calvin Jewett, C0361, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.
Acquisition Information
The donor is unknown.
Processing Information
Processing completed by Amanda Brent in June 2019. EAD markup completed by Amanda Brent in June 2019. This collection used to be a part of the Virginia historical documents collection, C0034.
Historical Information
The tradition of New Year's resolutions has been popular in Western culture since the mid to late 1700s. Though now a secular tradition, these resolutions were traditionally more religious in nature. The founder of Methodism, John Wesley, introduced "Covenant Renewal Service" as an alternative to holiday festivities in 1740, which are still celebrated by modern Methodists. By 1813, when renewing covenants became "New Year's resolutions," these promises began to take on a distinctly secular tone, which continues to this day.
Scope and Content
New Year's resolutions written by Calvin Jewett on December 29, 1841. Jewett's resolutions mainly deal with his religious faith and furthering his devotion to God. The words "New Covenant" are written on the back, likely a reference to the Methodist idea and celebration of making new covenants to God at the turn of the year.
Arrangement
This is a single item collection.
Related Material
The Special Collections Research Center also holds other historical letters and diaries.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
- Diaries
- Diaries -- Authorship -- Religious aspects -- Christianity
Bibliography
"The origin of new year's resolutions." The Economist. https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2018/01/05/the-origin-of-new-years-resolutions (accessed June 24, 2019).
"Why We Make New Year's Resolutions." Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/42255-history-of-new-years-resolutions.html (accessed June 24, 2019).