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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.

Bride, D.W., 1800-? to David Strother

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00496.113 Author/Creator: Bride, D.W., 1800-? Place Written: Sparta, Wisconsin Type: Autograph letter signed Date: December 27, 1869 Pagination: 11 p. ; Height: 32 cm, Width: 20 cm Order a Copy

Details the life of John Brown. Describes his interactions with Brown as a business partner, their conversations about slavery, and actions of Brown's that he did not witness but only read about. Says Brown discussed his plan for Harper's Ferry with him. Claims Brown was integral to the start of the Civil War. Imprint of a building with "Congress" superscripted in upper left hand corner of each folio. Strother was writing "Life of Jno. Brown and the Harper's Ferry Insurrection" which was never completed or published.

Bride, D.W., 1800-?
Strother, David Hunter, 1816-1888
Brown, John, 1800-1859

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