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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.

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806 to John Doughty

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.03855 Author/Creator: Knox, Henry, 1750-1806 Place Written: New York, New York Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 24 April 1788 Pagination: 3 p. : docket ; Height: 32.4 cm, Width: 20.3 cm Order a Copy

Discusses warrants and [military] pay in New Jersey for the year 1787. Comments on the postponement of New Hampshire's convention to ratify the Constitution. Predicts that Maryland, Virginia, and South Carolina will adopt the Constitution, while Rhode Island is likely not to adopt. Writes, "If the New Constitution takes place, strong hopes may be entertained of our being a respectable nation- If it does not, we have no hope of being united & happy- It is to be apprehended in this case that we shall be torn by factions... But I confess I have no doubt respecting the adoption of the constitution by nine states."

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

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