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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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1861-1865 ca.

Photograph

Title: Return of the New York 69th Regiment

E. & H. T. Anthony & Co. publisher. Negative by Brady & Co., Washington. Caption: "The Return of the New York 69th Regiment, N.Y.S.N.G."

GLC05137.258

1885 ca.

Bell, Charles Milton, 1848-1893

Photograph signed

Title: [Frederick Douglass]

Inscribed on front "Frederick Douglass. Born 1817." Inscribed verso: "Frederick Douglass. Born February 1817." With newspaper obituary pasted on the back. The albumen surface has been slightly scratched.

GLC05146

1865 ca.

Brady, Mathew B., 1823-1896

Photograph signed

Title: W.T. Sherman, General

Handsome image inscribed "W.T. Sherman. General." Imprint on back "Imperial Carte DeVisite by Brady." Pencil note of previous owner on back: "became Gen. in 1869. ta[ken at] 49 [i.e., in 1869]. Edges have been slightly trimmed affecting the print.

GLC05149

1880 ca.

Bell, C. M. (Charles Milton), (c. 1849-1893)

Photograph signed

Title: [Mary E. Walker, M.D.]

Photograph of the Civil War surgeon Mary Walker wearing her army Medal of Honor. Walker's medal was revoked in 1917 when conditions for the medal were changed to warrant only battle conditions. Her Medal of Honor was reinstated in 1977. An inventor and advocate of women's rights, as well as a surgeon, she remains the only female recipient of the army Medal of Honor. GLC has a large collateral file of photocopies from the National Archives about Walker's Civil War work.

GLC05152

1820/10/27

Caldwell, E.B., fl. 1820

Letter

Title: to Simeon Baldwin re: American Colonization Society Report (printed letter)

Slavery-related circular letter concerning the death of the Society's agents in Africa who had sought to save recaptured colonists, and calling for continuing efforts. Caldwell was Secretary of the American Colonization Society.

GLC05157

1953

United States. Supreme Court

Pamphlet

Title: [Supplemental brief from the United States Supreme Court regarding Brown v. Board of Education]

Brief prepared on behalf of the United States for reargument by Attorney General Herbert Brownell, J. Lee Rankin, Philip Elman, and other attorneys at the Justice Department. Devoted to information regarding the case of Oliver Brown, et. al. v. Board of Education of Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas, et. al. Title mentions four other cases. Includes a preface discussing the Fourteenth Amendment with respect to its effect on racial segregation in public schools. Contains five sections exploring the limits of judicial power in deciding the constitutionality of racial segregation in public…

GLC05160

June 1848

United States. Congress

Pamphlet

Title: A short statement of the causes which led to the war with Mexico...

Title continues "showing the inconsistent course of the Whig party on the subject." Record from Congress detailing contradictory Whig votes in the 29th and 30th Congresses, first supporting the Mexican War and then declaring that it was "unnecessarily and unconstitutionally begun by the President of the United States." Abraham Lincoln's name appears in the voting lists.

GLC05162

3 March 1841

Van Buren, Martin, 1782-1862

Book

Title: Message from the President of the United States, transmitting a report from the Secretary of State, in relation to seizures or search of American vessels, & c.

House doc. no. 115. Pertains to "Search or seizure of American vessels on coast of Africa, & c."

GLC05163

1861

United States. Congress

Book

Title: Journal of the Senate of the United States of America, being the first session of the thirty seventh congress ...

Title continues, " ... begun and held at the city of Washington, July 4, 1861." Includes Abraham Lincoln's address of 4 July 1861. Printed by the Government Printing Office. Copy of Hon. Waitman T. Willey with his name pasted on the front cover.

GLC05164

1863

United States. Congress

Book

Title: Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States: Being the third session of the thirty-seventh congress; ...

Title continues, " ... begun and held at the city of Washington, December 1, 1862." Compilation journal containing Abraham Lincoln's address of 1 December 1862, Ulysses S. Grant's General Order No. 11 expelling Jews from the Department of Tennessee, and the Congressional reaction to the order. First edition, printed by the Government Printing Office.

GLC05165

March 1864

Russell, Andrew J., 1829-1902

Photograph

Title: No. 302. Perspective View of Union Arch, Washington Aqueduct

Image of Union Arch across Cabin John Creek in wintertime. A few men stand down below the structure beside a pile of logs and a wood cabin. The arch forms a part of the aqueduct that bears water to Washington, D.C. The arch is designated a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. The title and subtitle are pasted below the image. The subtitle reads, "Built by General M. C. Meigs. Span of 220 ft."

GLC05172

February 23, 1833

Jackson, Andrew, 1767-1845

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James A. Hamilton

Writing to James Hamilton, son of Alexander Hamilton, Jackson comments on the rush of official business at the height of the Nullification Crisis. Mentions that he heard from Hamilton's mother, wife of Alexander Hamilton, and is pleased that she is still well. Asks that Hamilton come to Washington before 4 March 1833, the date of Jackson's second inauguration. Comments on the positions of Henry Clay and John Calhoun on nullification. "Nullification cannot be recognized as a peaceful & constitutional measure, and the American system of M Clay being on the wane, a union between these two…

GLC05176

1817

Washington, Bushrod, 1762-1829

Pamphlet

Title: A view of exertions lately made for the purposes of colonizing the free people of colour, in the United States, in Africa, or elsewhere

A pamphlet containing Bushrod's memorial as president of the American Society for Colonizing the Free People of Color of the United States, along with other writings on the subject of colonization. Includes speeches by Henry Clay and many others, resolutions, and a "brief sketch of Sierra Leone." Printed by Jonathan Elliot. Disbound pamphlet.

GLC05181

25 August 1923

Coolidge, Calvin, 1872-1933

Typed letter signed

Title: to L. S. Johnson

Written on mourning White House stationery (with black border). Coolidge writes about the importance of studying the economic foundation of American institutions. Johnson apparently headed the National School for Commerce Executives at Northwestern University.

GLC05182

22 August 1834

Jackson, Andrew, 1767-1845

Document signed

Title: [Patent for Otis Tufts' improvement in the power printing press]

Signed by Andrew Jackson as President. Countersigned by John Forsyth as Secretary of State and Benjamin Franklin Butler as Attorney General. Tufts' written description of his improvement is signed by Robert Henry Eddy and possibly Caleb Babbit as witnesses. Contains five pages of diagrams depicting the invention. Sealed and bound with yellow ribbon.

GLC05183

24 July 1862

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Document signed

Title: [Presidential authority to the Secretary of State to affix the seal to a warrant for pardon of Felix Mullen].

Felix Mullen had been convicted in the District of Columbia for burglary in December 1861. He was pardoned by Lincoln after he had petitioned arguing that the jury was in ignorance of the law and said he would return to his military duty with the 10th New Jersey Regiment.

GLC05184

3 May 1863

Russell, Andrew J., 1829-1902

Photograph

Title: No. 162. Battery of thirty-two pounders

Image of an artillery battery behind entrenchments. The men in the foreground adjust their gun, while others in the background prepare to fire theirs. Three cannons and about a hundred soldiers are visible. Fredericksburg lies in the background, meaning that the battery is located on Stafford Heights. The photograph was taken during the Second Battle of Fredericksburg, also known as the Second Battle of Marye's Heights, part of the Chancellorsville Campaign. A label below the image bears the title and subtitle. The subtitle reads "Fredericksburgh, May 3, 1863."

GLC05189

February 28, 1803

Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826

Broadside

Title: [Two acts of Congress which offer protection of seamen and a partial ban on imported slaves]

The first act is titled: "An Act supplementary to the "Act concerning Consuls and Vice-Consuls, and for the further protection of American Seamen." The second act is titled: "An Act to prevent the importation of certain Persons into certain States, where, by the laws thereof, their admission is prohibited." Names printed on the bottom of these acts are Nathaniel Macon as Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aaron Burr, Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate, and Thomas Jefferson as President of the United States.

GLC05198

1861-1865 ca.

Photograph

Title: Picket Guard on Alert

E. & H. T. Anthony & Co., publisher. Caption: War "Army of the Potomac. Picket Guard on the Alert"

GLC05137.224

1861-1865 ca.

Photograph

Title: Path or Road through a forrest

No identification. Handwritten on back: "Hessian Camp"

GLC05137.225

1861-1865 ca.

Photograph

Title: Seventh and Twelfth Brigades at Castle Garden to Receive H.R.H

James Cremer's Stereoscopic Emporium, Philadelphia. "The Seventh and Twelfth Regiments Drawn up in Line in Front of Castle Garden to Receive H. R. H."

GLC05137.226

1861-1865 ca.

Photograph

Title: Buriegh Corps Military Company

L. H. Fillmore, Whitehall, N.Y., publisher. On verso: [handwritten] Burleigh Corpse Military Co. very old". Soldiers outside a large barracks or house. Harness of the color bearers are visible. The soldiers wear white gloves.

GLC05137.227