Our Collection

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.

Mason, John, fl. 1776-1790 to Henry Knox

Order a pdf of this item here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.04483 Author/Creator: Mason, John, fl. 1776-1790 Place Written: New York, New York Type: Autograph letter signed Date: January 27, 1790 Pagination: 1 p. : docket Height: 23 cm, Width: 18.7 cm Order a Copy

Discusses the training of soldiers. Writes that "I have been faced in the opinion that no plan respecting the Militia will be efficient which does not include the training of boys between the 9th and the [16th] years of their age - Let it be declared by Law that after no man shall be permitted to keep school in any of the United States who, among other qualifications is not prepared for instructing his male Pupils with great exactness in the Rudiments of military Art..."

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806
Mason, John, fl. 1776-1790

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources