This paper analyses a selection of ten letters written by Franjo Rački to Vatroslav Jagić in the period from December 1862 to February 1873. These depict clearly the political situation and public events in “Banska Hrvatska” of the period. Throughout the paper data from the literature are followed by citations from the letters. Franjo Rački was involved in the creation of modern Croatia, the affirmation of the Croatian language, as well as the concept of the Croatian political nation and its capital city. The selected correspondence provides a clear picture of the period and its events, depicting the impact of political ideas on creativity. The letters serve to inform us about the scientific work of Franjo Rački and Vatroslav Jagić, as well as the activities of JAZU ( HAZU today) and its members. Most of the letters were written in Zagreb, which at the time had developed into the cultural and political centre of Croatia, and in which the formation of public institutions and their buildings was underway, as the letters of Rački note in several places. The ten letters selected for analysis give us an insight into the cultural aspects of Croatian history and the formation of political ideas, science and institutions, as well as the reflections on these developments of the scientific elite of the time. Certain thoughts from the correspondence of Franjo Rački bear witness as to how political developments affect the work of individuals.