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At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

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Place written

Year

Sub-era

1805/08/10

Lear, Tobias, 1762-1816

Letter signed

Title: to Hamuda Bassa re: delayed response to Lear's letter on possible war

Final draft of GLC 2794.089 in a clerk's hand with Lear's signature. Written aboard the "U.S.S. Constitution." "I had flattered myself that I should have had the honor of hearing from your Excellency, in answer to my letters of the 8th. of this Month (GLC 2794.084 & 2794.085) [. . . .] As this is not the case . . . I have the honor to assure you that there will be on our part the same Secureity for any persons who may come on board our Vessels as has been heretofore, untill we may be in a declared state of hostitilty . . . God forbid." Docketed on verso.

GLC02794.090

1805/08/11

Bassa, Hamuda, fl. 1803-1807

Manuscript document

Title: Translation of letter to Tobias Lear re: delay in correspondence

The Bashaw explains that his other obligations, and lack of access to a translator resulted in the delayed reply to Lear's letter. Emphasizes that Lear should not doubt "my zeal, & peaceful intentions." Docketed on verso: "Translation of a Letter from the Bey of Tunis to Tobias Lear-- Aug. 11th. 1805"

GLC02794.091

1805/08/11

Lear, Tobias, 1762-1816

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Hamuda Bassa re: continued peace between U.S. and Tunis

Draft copy of GLC 2794.093. Written aboard the "U.S.S. Constitution." Lear responds to the Bashaw's letter of 9 August 1805 (GLC 2794.088). For excerpt, see GLC 2794.093. Docketed on verso.

GLC02794.092

1805/08/11

Lear, Tobias, 1762-1816

Manuscript document signed

Title: to Hamuda Bassa re: continued peace between U.S. and Tunis

Final draft of GLC 2794.092 in a clerk's hand with Lear's signature. Written aboard the "U.S.S. Constitution." Lear responds to the Bashaw's letter of 9 August 1805 (GLC 2794.088). "[A]s [your previous letters] contain such assurances of your friendly disposition towards the United States, and expressions of a determination to continue that friendship . . . I shall not hesitate to present myself before your Excellency towmorrow . . . ." Docketed on verso.

GLC02794.093

1805/08/22

Lear, Tobias, 1762-1816

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sidi Josaph Sapatapa of Tunis re: treaty between Tunis and the U.S.

Draft of GLC 2794.096. Lear writes Sidi Jossaph, the Sapatapa (Prime Minister) to the Bey of Tunis to negotiate more favorable commerce and shipping agreements with Tunis, with the "object . . . to increase the harmony and good understanding which exists between" the U.S. and Tunis. Docketed on verso.

GLC02794.095

1805/08/22

Lear, Tobias, 1762-1816

Letter signed

Title: to Sidi Josaph Sapatapa of Tunis re: treaty between Tunis and the U.S.

Final draft of GLC 2794.095 in a clerk's hand with Lear's signature. Lear writes Sidi Jossaph, the Sapatapa (Prime Minister) to the Bey of Tunis to negotiate more favorable commerce and shipping agreements with Tunis, with the "object . . . to increase the harmony and good understanding which exists between" the U.S. and Tunis. Docketed on verso.

GLC02794.096

1805/08/31

Hoggia, Jusuf, fl. 1805

Manuscript document

Title: to Tobias Lear re: modifications to a treaty between Tunis and U.S.

Translation copy in a clerk's hand. Informs Lear that the Bashaw of Tunis wishes to postpone modifications to the treaty pending the return of his ambassadors with ratification of the treaty by President Jefferson. The Bashaw does agree to stop charging American merchants any extra duty on goods brought to Tunis. A note in a later hand: "Translation."

GLC02794.097

1805/08/31

Hoggia, Jusuf, fl. 1805

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Tobias Lear re: [?] [in Italian]

Docketed on verso.

GLC02794.098

1805/08/31

Hoggia, Jusuf, fl. 1805

Manuscript document signed

Title: to Tobias Lear re: modifications to treaty [in Italian]

Same as GLC 2794.100. Marked "Copia" in upper left-hand corner of first page. Signed on p. 3 by Tobias Lear on 2 September 1805, with a note: "A true Copy from the Original." Docketed on verso.

GLC02794.099

1805/08/31

Hoggia, Jusuf, fl. 1805

Manuscript document

Title: to Tobias Lear re: modifications of treaty [in Italian]

Same as GLC 2794.099. Marked "Copia" in the upper left-hand corner of the first page. Lacking Lear's signature.

GLC02794.100

1805/09/02

Lear, Tobias, 1762-1816

Manuscript document signed

Title: to James Madison re: report of his activities from 7 July to 1 September 1805

Written in a clerk's hand with Lear's signature. Lear briefs Secretary of State Madison on the course of negotiations with the Bey of Tunis. Describes threatening war and negotiations to ease the tension. Docketed on verso.

GLC02794.101

1805/09/05

Ridgely, John, fl. 1805

Manuscript document signed

Title: Certification that Lieut. David Porter received a gold watch

Certification from Ridgely, the U.S. Naval agent in Tripoli, that Porter received a gold watch to be given to Hadge Mahomet for his friendship to American prisoners in Tripoli. Porter received the watch via Tobias Lear. "Consular Seal of the U.S. of America--Tripoli" affixed to second page. Docketed on verso.

GLC02794.102

1806/07/01

Torres, Domingos L.L. de, fl. 1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Tobias Lear re: request for a loan

" I am extremely sorry . . . . But an unexpected affliction obliges me to sollicit your assistance by the loan of twenty four piasters of Espagne, or twelve Sequinos of Algiers." Docketed on address leaf.

GLC02794.105

1806/07/12

Bernardo de Hacerda, Jose, fl. 1806-1810

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Tobias Lear re: request for a loan [in French]

Docketed on verso.

GLC02794.106

1806/07/15

Bernardo de Hacerda, Jose, fl. 1806-1810

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Tobias Lear re: a loan for food and rent [?] [in Portuguese]

Docketed on verso.

GLC02794.107

1806/07/15

Bernardo de Hacerda, Jose, fl. 1806-1810

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Tobias Lear re: thanking Lear for a loan [in French]

Docketed on verso.

GLC02794.108

1806/09/06

Cathcart, James, fl. 1806

Manuscript document

Title: Invoice of articles sent to Tunis and consigned to Tobias Lear

Same invoice as GLC 2794.110, but written in different format. Signed by both Tobias Lear and James Leander Cathcart. Docketed on address leaf.

GLC02794.109

1806/09/06

Manuscript document

Title: Invoice of articles sent to Tunis and consigned to Tobias Lear

Same invoice as GLC 2794.109, but written in a different format. Unsigned copy. Docketed on verso.

GLC02794.110

1806/09/30

Ball, Alexander, fl. 1806

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Tobias Lear re: thanks for protecting British interests, intro. new diplomat

Ball thanks Lear for "the attention you have shewn to [the] interests of the British Government in the absence of their late consuls Falcon and Cartwright." He introduces the new British Consul, "W. Blanckley." Ball also thanks Lear for a gift of a "Horn of a Rhinoceros set in gold," mentions a return gift and the fact that Lear was planning to return to America. Attached to GLC 2794.094. Sir Alexander Ball was the governor at Malta. Docketed on p. 4.

GLC02794.111

1806/10/24

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Tobias Lear re: wrongly imprisoned and abused Portuguese [in French]

Signed by various Portuguese officers: Paulo Freire de Andrade, F. Bernardo Borges do Valle, Jose Bernardo de Hacerda, Diogo Ramire Esquivel, Joao Jose de Andrade, and Joao dos Santos. Letter mentions Portuguese wrongly imprisoned and beaten by Algerians. The document reports that some sick Portuguese soldiers, along with some Moors and Tripolitans, disguised as Algerians, escaped on a freighter. Docketed on verso.

GLC02794.112

1807/02/27

Bassa, Hamuda, fl. 1803-1807

Manuscript document

Title: to Thomas Jefferson re: U.S.-Tunis treaty [with translation]

Written in a clerk's hand, includes translation copy of the letter. "Thanks to [Lear's] reasonable & highly approved manner, few Conferences have served to remove the misunderstandings that mutually existed between us, and consolidate the good friendship and good intelligence, that I am, as well as you, ambitious to culcate and maintain undisturbed between the two Nations."

GLC02794.113

1807/02/27

Bassa, Hamuda, fl. 1803-1807

Manuscript document

Title: to Thomas Jefferson re: desire for peace between two nations [in Italian]

Written in a clerk's hand with clerical signature. Mentions Tobias Lear's efforts to maintain peace between U.S. and Tunis, as well as the Bashaw's peaceful intentions. Docketed on verso.

GLC02794.114