10 February 1788

Carrington, Edward, 1749-1810

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Written in Manchester, a present-day neighborhood of Richmond. Comments on the state conventions held to discuss ratification of the United States Constitution (Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and Virginia). On Virginia, writes, "My situation here is in the midst of Mr. Henries influence, and I find he has pretty well prepared the people for being his blind followers- his demagogues are loud in their clamors against the Constitution, professing a determination to reject unless amendments can be had even at the hazard of standing alone..." (referring to Anti-Federalist Patrick Henry…

GLC02437.03792

January 12, 1789

Breck, Samuel, 1747-1809

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Writes that he had delayed writing in hopes that some more events worth mentioning would occur, but they have not, and he cannot justify delaying any longer. Assumes that their mutual friend [Henry] Jackson has acquainted him with the federal elections in Massachusetts, the results of which are very pleasing. Writes, "no Anties yet nor will there be more than one & his influence very small! The Governor is his Message urges amendments, but the Committee of the two Houses will not echo this sentiment." Mentions that General [Benjamin] Lincoln has just been offered a salary to serve as…

GLC02437.04089

15 October 1787

Washington, George, 1732-1799

Manuscript letter

Title: to Henry Knox

Later copy of a letter to Henry Knox, discussing the Constitution, its level of support and the level of wisdom and foresight possesed by the Constitution's authors. Admits the document may have flaws, but believes it should be accepted, and then fixed as time goes on. "The Constitution is now before the Judgement Seat - It has, as was expected, its adversaries, and its supporters: which will preponderate, is yet to be decided. The former it is probable will be most active: because the major part of them it is to be feared will be governed by Sinister and Self important considerations on…

GLC02437.09316

30 March 1866

Stone, William M., 1827-1893

Document signed

Title: Joint resolution, ratifying the amendment to the consitution of the United States abolishing slavery

Document of the eleventh General Assembly of the State of Iowa ratifying the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States which abolished slavery. The 13th Amendment resolution is quoted at the center of the document. Signed in ink by Iowa's Governor, William M. Stone, Iowa's Speaker of the House, Ed Wright, Iowa's President of the Senate, B. J. Lee, and Iowa's Secretary of State, James Wright. The names of the members of the House and Senate who voted in affirmative are printed at left. Printed by F. W. Palmer, state printer, register office, Des Moines. With a few small…

GLC02631

18 October 1865

Greeley, Horace, 1811-1872

Newspaper

Title: New-York daily tribune. [Vol. 25, no. 7654 (October 18, 1865)]

Discusses President Andrew Johnson's involvement in various aspects of reconstruction. Addresses the responsibility of the Judiciary, not the Executive, in bringing former President of the Confederacy Jefferson Davis to trial. Includes a full report on the beauty of Yosemite, written by an unspecified correspondent accompanied by Fred MacCrellish, publisher of the Alta California newspaper in San Francisco, William Ashburner of the State Geological Survey, and Frederic Law Olmsted, architect of Central Park and Secretary of the United States Sanitary Commission. Contains a report that…

GLC08726.34

1867

Boutwell, George Sewall, 1818-1905

Book

Title: Speeches and Papers Relating to the Rebellion and the Overthrow of Slavery

Published by Little, Brown & Co. in Boston. Stereotyped and printed by John Wilson and Son in Cambridge. Dedicated to the citizens of Groton, who supported Boutwell in his career as a public servant. Contains 35 chapters, each one a different speech by Boutwell from the years 1861-1867. Contains 4 appendices on pages 605-615 with copies of various Congressional Acts and Constitutional amendments. Index at pages 619-628. Green pebbled cloth cover.

GLC08645

1889

Book

Title: Justice and Jurisprudence [judicial theory re: 13th thru 18th amendments]

GLC08591

1793

United States. Congress (1st : 1789-1791). Senate

Book

Title: Acts passed at a second Congress [Bill of Rights]

Printed by E. Oswald.

GLC08592

1789

United States. Congress

Book

Title: Journal of the first session of the Senate of the United States...

The official printing of the journal of the first Senate, containing the first official printing of the Bill of Rights pp. 103-106. A wide-margined copy with slight browning of the leaves. Evans 22207, Grolier American Hundred 20.

GLC00172

circa 1830

Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848

Autograph manuscript

Title: Notes on constitutional separation of powers; Bill of rights

Blue paper. "Constitutions. Legislative --Executive --Judicial" NH, MA, CT, VT" - p.4

GLC00186

February 1, 1865

United States. Congress

Document signed

Title: Thirteenth amendment resolution

Congressional copy. One of the most significant copies of the Thirteenth amendment resolution ending slavery, signed by Lincoln, Hamlin, Colfax (twice), Forney, McPherson, 37 senators, and 111 Congressmen. It is Ex-Barrett. Of Senators who voted for the Amendment Resolution, only two did not sign this copy: William Pitt Fessenden and B. F. Harding, though L. M. Morrill signed twice. Of Congressmen who voted for the Resolution only nine did not sign this copy: James S. Rollins, George W. Julian, John A. J. Creswell, William Radford, John F. Starr, Walter D. McIncloe, Ambrose W. Clark,…

GLC00263

February 2, 1846

Chappell, Absalom Harris, 1801-1878

Printed document

Title: Resolutions of the legislature of Georgia

[Title continued] in opposition to the principles of certain resolves of the legislature of Massachusetts in relation to an amendment of the constitution on the subject of federal representation. Copy of a resolution by the Georgia Legislature, printed for the twenty ninth Congress. The resolution is in opposition to a call by the Massachusetts legislature to repeal the three fifths voting clause of the Constitution. Likely printed in Washington, D.C. First edition.

GLC00267.006

06 April 1836

United States. Congress (24th, 1st session : 1835-1836). House

Printed document

Title: Amend the Constitution of the United States

[Title continued] memorial of citizens of North Carolina, upon the subject of amending the Constitution of the United States.Twenty seven petitioners request: "In case that any State in the Union, either by the Legislature thereof, or by a convention chosen by the people of the same, shall solemnly declare their belief that any act which is or may be passed by both houses of Congress and approved by the President of the United States, is unconstitutional, the said State, by their Legislature or convention, shall make up a case, containing the grounds of their belief of its unconstitutionality…

GLC00267.020

1804

Pamphlet

Title: A defense of the legislature of Massachusetts, or the rights of New England vindicated

Pamphlet defending the Massachusetts legislature's attempt to repeal the three fifths clause of the Constitution. Claims that the repeal is necessary for Massachusetts to retain any influence in national government. Argues that this clause gives Virginia the most power of any state, and that the policy favors the Southern states as a whole, but Virginia in particular. Also proposes changes regarding presidential election "to provide for the choice of Electors of President and Vice President by a General Ticket." With an appendix that lists the number of enslaved people registered in each…

GLC00267.007

December 26, 1866

Buchanan, James, 1791-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James W. Wall

In the letter, James Buchanan is attacking Radical Republicans, whom he sees as self-destructive. Also discusses strengthening the Democrats in New Jersey, and Johnson's failed veto on the Civil Rights Act.

GLC00576

1858-1909

Powell, George May, 1835-1905

Header Record

Title: Papers of George May Powell [decimalized]

The George May Powell collection contains personal and family correspondence. Also included are business papers relating to his Thirteenth Amendment anti-slavery photograph, his inventions, and his publications; a diary, letters, and essays regarding his post-war travel, and religious and pacifist correspondence and essays. The collection is divided into the following series: 1) correspondence with Emma C. Small, 1860-1868; 2) George May Powell Company business records (13th Amendment photo); 3) Post-war expedition to Egypt and Palestine diary, records, and maps; 4) American Christian…

GLC00687

23 September 1789

Fenno, John, 1751-1798

Newspaper

Title: Gazette of the United States. [No. XLVII (September 23, 1789)]

Reports on the Senate proceedings and prints twelve proposed amendments to the Constitution, an early form of the Bill of Rights. Reports on a debate in the House of Representatives on judicial salaries. Contains news from Europe, including the French Revolution, with a report on France's new Constitution. Features a continuation of a printing of "The Right Constitution of a Common Wealth Examined." Also contains a continuation of Noah Webster's criticisms of Edward Gibbon's "History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire."

GLC01063

December 12 - 15, 1795

Virginia

Header Record

Title: Proposed amendments to the US Constitution (with transmittal)

Accompanied by a transmittal document 1795/12/15. Swem, Virginia Imprints 7834. Evans 29798. Signed by H. Brooke and John Stewart.

GLC01075

1798

United States. Congress

Broadside

Title: Resolution to amend Article II [Election of President]

Printed by John Fenno. The proposal was never enacted.

GLC00927.01

15 June 1787

Butler, Pierce, 1744-1822

Manuscript document

Title: [New Jersey plan]: Resolved that the Articles of Confederation.... [partial]

In Butler's hand. A partial transcription of the New Jersey plan.

GLC00819.08

February 3, 1788

Sargent, Winthrop, 1753-1820

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Expresses his regret that Knox has rheumatism. Expects that Massachusetts will adopt the Constitution. Discusses several delegates who advocated its adoption. Mentions [John] Hancock's publication in the [Massachusetts] Centinel 2 February 1788, which according to Sargent stated "that we should ratify &c. & propose certain Amendments..." Asks if General [Arthur] St. Clair will hold a treaty with an unspecified tribe of Native Americans and discusses business of the Ohio Company. "Free" stamped on address leaf with no signature.

GLC02437.03783

3 July 1788

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Autograph letter

Title: to Arthur St. Clair

Marked private at the top of page one. Declares, "I rejoice my dear sir in having the pleasure of congratulating you on the adoption of the Constitution by ten states. In Virginia, the business has been highly interesting and critical, and finally succeeded by a majority of ten- In New Hampshire the majority eleven- The latter passed it on Saturday the 21, and Virginia on Wednesday the 25th ultimo." Discusses the New York convention presently deciding on ratification of the Constitution. Predicts that "the Convention will stipulate for amendments previous to the adoption... Congress will…

GLC02437.03926

7 March 1790

Sherburne, Henry, 1748-1824

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Henry Knox

Thanks Knox for sending his application to President Washington and also informs him that the Rhode Island state convention adjourned without discussing the question of whether or not to adopt the Constitution. Writes that "[t]his Extraordinary Step was warmly opposed, but without effect; Reason, Duty, necessity, and every other Argument was made use of, to no purpose." Feels that the Anti-federalist party is postponing the decision only to serve their own selfish motivations and secure their own representatives in the senate. Writes that "[t]he Convention in Order to Cover their design and…

GLC02437.04533

4 July 1873

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874

Printed document

Title: Let crushed Cuba arise! Substance of the speech of Gerrit Smith, in Syracuse, July 4th 1873.

Smith writes, "In our Fourth of July celebrations there are two events, which, far above all other events, we come together to celebrate. One of these is the deliverance of our country, nearly a century ago, from political despotism, and the other is the practical recognition by our nation, a few years since, of the grand doctrine that 'all men are created equal.'"

GLC04717.63

1 March 1876

Cox, Samuel Sullivan, 1824-1889

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William Lewis Maury

Writes that one of two bills he introduced (to relieve the disabilities imposed by the 14th Amendment) passed. The bill to relieve Judge Hawkins of Florida passed, and the bill to relieve Maury should pass tomorrow. Cox was a U.S. Congressman from New York.

GLC04572.39