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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.

Jackson, Henry, 1747-1809 to Henry Knox

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.04989 Author/Creator: Jackson, Henry, 1747-1809 Place Written: Boston, Massachusetts Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 12 June 1791 Pagination: 3 p. : docket ; Height: 22.5 cm, Width: 18.7 cm Order a Copy

Writes that he arrived in Boston last Thursday and spoke directly to "some of my friends members of our Legislature." Learned that the committee had full power to negotiate the sale of the whole or part of the "unlocated" lands. States that he spoke to the chairman and asked him to call a committee because he had an offer to make on a tract of land in the District of Maine. The committee has complete power to sell the eastern lands. He then told the committee he wanted to purchase between one and two million acres. The committee's terms are 14 cents per acre payable in Massachusetts notes. They were unwilling to sell to one company more than 44 townships, which was close to one million acres. Says "the price of our State paper is from 12/ to 12/6." Does not think this is an ultimatum though. Recommends having Samuel Ogden hold onto his 20 townships until he learns what quantity of land he can buy. Fears that if Massachusetts only sells them 44 townships and Ogden relinquishes his, they will only be able to buy 20. Sent William Duer a copy of this letter.

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