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.

Jackson, Henry, 1747-1809 to Henry Knox

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.04723 Author/Creator: Jackson, Henry, 1747-1809 Place Written: Boston, Massachusetts Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 7 September 1790 Pagination: 3 p. : docket ; Height: 24.2 cm, Width: 19.6 cm Order a Copy

General Jackson did not receive Knox's letter of 30 August 1790 because he had been out of town. Jackson had met with two men named Jonathan Dow and Ebenezer Eastman interested in purchasing a "Township" from Knox. The land is between "Northern Stream and Lower debscot." These men assure Jackson they can bring in forty families to settle it immediately. Jackson needs to know what Knox wants to do about the situation. Jackson calls Knox's attention to an extract of a letter (in the newspaper) by Spanish Ambassador Don Diego de Gardoqui "which points an end to the prospects of War." Jackson also informs Knox that John Gardner's "attack on the Cincin [Society of Cincinnati] is in the Chronicle," adding to the twenty items attacking the Society he has already written. Jackson thinks that the "number of Candidates for Federal Representatives in the several districts" might have a positive impact but that is yet to be determined. Fisher Ames has Jackson and Knox's support, and Benjamin Austin, Jr. and Thomas Dawes, Jr. are also running.

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806
Jackson, Henry, 1747-1809
Ames, Fisher, 1758-1808

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