The Andrew C. McLaughlin collection consists of correspondence concerning his scholarly interests, essays and a law thesis written while he was a student at the University of Michigan, and eight volumes of lecture notes on lectures he gave while at the University of Michigan. There is, additionally, a diary from his visit to Germany in 1893, a scrapbook and other material concerning a visit to England for the purpose of interpreting America to British audiences, and biographical information. Some of McLaughlin's correspondence included Charles K. Adams, John F. Jameson, Pierre Margry, John T. Morse, and Ira Remsen.
Andrew Cunningham McLaughlin was born on Feb. 14, 1861, at Beardstown, IL, the son of David and Isabella Campbell McLaughlin. He received the Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan in 1882, and the Bachelor of Laws degree in 1885.
Following his graduation, McLaughlin taught Latin at the University of Michigan, then transferred to the history department, where he taught American History until he left in 1906 to go to the University of Chicago. He taught at Chicago until 1929.
McLaughlin was a recognized scholar of American constitutional history. He also authored textbooks on American history, a monograph on history of higher education in Michigan, a biography of Lewis Cass, and numerous journal articles.
In 1918 he lectured in England and Ireland on the causes that had led the United States into the war. His book America and Britain (1919) was a compilation of these lectures.
McLaughlin was professionally active, serving as director of the Bureau of Historical Research of the Carnegie Institution in Washington and managing editor of The American Historical Review (1901-1905). He married Lois Thompson Angell in 1890. He died September 24, 1947.
