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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.

Ramsay, David, 1749-1815 to Henry Knox

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.03249 Author/Creator: Ramsay, David, 1749-1815 Place Written: New York, New York Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 12 March 1786 Pagination: 1 p. : Height: 23.9 cm, Width: 19 cm Order a Copy

In response to Knox's plan for the militia (see GLC02437.03246), Ramsay believes "it is excellent in theory," but has two major reservations: first, is unsure whether the government is prepared to devote time and expense to such a plan, and second, is not sure "whether our youth would not be so fond of a military life as to be tempted to act offensively against our neighbors."

Ramsay, David, 1749-1815
Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

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