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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.

Perry, Matthew Calbraith, 1794-1858 to Thomas Tingey Craven

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC01617 Author/Creator: Perry, Matthew Calbraith, 1794-1858 Place Written: Monrovia, Liberia Type: Letter signed Date: June 11, 1844 Pagination: 3 p. : docket ; Height: 32 cm, Width: 20.4 cm Order a Copy

Perry writes from U.S. Frigate Macedonian to Craven, Commander of the U.S. Brig Porpoise. He instructs Craven that upon arriving in Liberia, he should go directly to the Galenas River. Discusses procedure for cruising and for display of the American Flag, noting, "...in the neighborhood of the Galenas at least you may be able to prevent the desecration of the American Flag to the vile purposes of the foreign slave Dealer." Requests Craven's observations on the land, currents, and other features of the Galenas River. Craven and Perry were engaged in suppressing the slave trade along the West African Coast. Docketed in graphite.

Perry, Matthew Calbraith, 1794-1858
Craven, Thomas, 1808-1887

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