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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 Abijah Hammond

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.06242 Author/Creator: Knox, Henry, 1750-1806 Place Written: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 14 November 1794 Pagination: 3 p. : Height: 31 cm, Width: 20.4 cm Order a Copy

Expresses his sympathy on the death of [Abijah?] Hammond's child. Notes both him and Mrs. Knox know from experience the sorrow and "agony of the soul" the death of a child brings. Writes, "But such blows while they shake our hold of the world, do not usually assist our piety. We see aged persons by the order of nature pass away, but we see no reason why the young existence should be terminated before it scarcely be realized. The more we revolve or ponder on such events the more deeply are we plunged into a chaos of perplexity, out of which, we can never emerge." Explains in great detail his ideas on religion and philosophy. Comments that these views and the passage of time has helped to restore peace to his soul.

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806
Hammond, Abijah, 1757-1832

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