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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.

Gorham, Nathaniel, 1738-1796 to Henry Knox

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.03355 Author/Creator: Gorham, Nathaniel, 1738-1796 Place Written: Charlestown, Massachusetts Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 29 November 1786 Pagination: 1 p. : docket Height: 22.5 cm, Width: 18.8 cm Order a Copy

Written from "Charles Town," possibly Charlestown, Massachusetts, where Gorham was born. Asks Knox to deliver a letter he has enclosed to his daughter. Relates information on preparations Massachusetts has made to confront the insurgents associated with Shays' Rebellion. Describes how they thought the insurgents would stand and fight, but upon realizing that their reinforcements would not be joining them, they ran. Explains that "it is happy for them they did not come," because the government had prepared its own troops to fight. There is now a good chance that a government force will overtake the insurgents; the government force includes Hichborn and Jackson (Benjamin Hichborn and Henry Jackson). Sends his best to Mrs. Knox.

Signer of the U.S. Constitution.

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806
Gorham, Nathaniel, 1738-1796
Hichborn, Benjamin, 1746-1817
Jackson, Henry, 1747-1809
Shays, Daniel, 1747-1825
Knox, Lucy Flucker, 1756-1824

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