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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.

Doughty, John, 1754-1826 to Henry Knox

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.03718 Author/Creator: Doughty, John, 1754-1826 Place Written: Washington County, Ohio Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 1 December 1787 Pagination: 2 p. : docket ; 33.2 x 21.8 cm. Order a Copy

Informs that he has debts in Jersey and is willing to have his pay applied to discharge the debt. Writes about the new constitution and the western territory, "I am much obliged to you for the new constitution & for the plan of Government for the Western Territory, they are both much wanted - it is hoped some kind of order will be introduced in this country by the latter, I never saw a country in which Licentiousness political & religious so much prevailed as in the Infant Settlements in this western World ... it wants a Government peculiarly adopted to the circumstances of the country to produce a change." Noted as written at Fort Harmer and marked as private.

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806
Doughty, John, 1754-1826

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