The papers are arranged as TRADE FOR PEACE (TFP) and DANE COUNTY PLEDGE OF RESISTANCE (DCPOR) papers. The TFP papers are further divided as Activity, Publicity, Correspondence, Legal, and Financial papers; the DCPOR papers are subdivided into National Guard deployment papers, organizational records, and publicity.
These papers document Leonard Cizewski's activities for Trade For Peace and to a lesser extent his activities in the Dane County Pledge of Resistance. Because he was the prime organizer of Trade for Peace the files better reflect his activities in this organization. Indeed, the collection offers substantial insight into Cizewski's involvement in TFP from its inception until its dissolution in 1990. The records reflect his involvement in the Dane County Pledge of Resistance only until 1987.
The strengths of the collection center around Cizewski's correspondence with various social action groups and the documentation of how TFP developed these contacts and initiated acts of civil disobedience. The collection documents both internal and external activities, and it provides insight into this social/political action group.
The organizational activity folders offer a good run of meeting notes from 1985 to 1990. Moreover, the Preliminary Work file offers evidence of TFP's inception - why it was started, its goals, and its assessment of the potential risks. The publicity files, which are a highlight of the collection, illustrate campaigns to raise awareness about the embargo and symbolically protest through the importation of goods. The collection includes newsclippings about Trade For Peace, photographs, mostly by Liz Chilsen, of various news conferences as well as an extensive collection of audio tapes. Of particular note is a radio debate with Peter Flaherty of the conservative group Citizens For Reagan. The clippings document the national media attention Trade For Peace attracted after the August 30, 1988 raid.
The Activity files also offer insight into TFP's connection with other social action groups and projects concerning Central American issues. Moreover, the collection offers an insight into Cizewski's ideas about U.S. policy in Central America through the publication of an article that appeared in The Progressive magazine.
The correspondence files provide direct evidence of Trade For Peace's contacts in Canada such as Jeff House, an attorney who handled the dealings with Bridgehead Trading, Inc. in Canada and the importation of coffee beans. In addition, files on Carmen Albrecht and Friends in the Peace Movement offer important documentation about TFP's efforts to raise awareness of the embargo. In order to fund the purchase of stamps and coffee Trade For Peace solicited loans and grants from various groups and individuals. Kathleen Kelly and Karl Meyer are two such individuals who worked with Trade for Peace.
The legal files explicate the nature of the raid on Cizewski's home and the support received from the ACLU. In addition Box 4 contains examples of items seized in the raid and later returned.
TFP's financial condition is documented in the complete run of tax returns. In addition, the financial files also help explicate attempts to secure grants from national and local organizations.
The DANE COUNTY PLEDGE OF RESISTANCE series provides limited information about Leonard Cizewski's involvement. Of particular note is his open letter that attempted to heighten awareness among soldiers about U.S. policy in Central America. In addition, the collection includes Cizewski's article “The Wisconsin National Guard and Central America”, and some correspondence with elected officials. The DCPOR had a hotline for information on U.S. policy in Central America. Records of the hotline messages are complete for 1985-1987. Financial information about the group is contained in a file of pledge forms. These forms also contain some interesting comments about Central American policy.
