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.

to [Congress]

Order a pdf of this item here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.10204 Author/Creator: Place Written: s.l. Type: Manuscript letter Date: 10 May 1785 Pagination: 3 p. : docket ; Height: 37.7 cm, Width: 22.9 cm Order a Copy

Proposing the establishment of permanent arsenals and magazines throughout the country and a means of controlling them. Given the content, the date (two months after Knox was made Secretary of War), and the docket in Knox's hand, Henry Knox is most likely the author. The letter itself is in a secretarial hand. Followed by a 16 May 1785 order of Congress, in a secretarial hand, that "the Secretary at War devise a plan for the general regulation of the militia of the United States in such manner as to render it most respectful and least expensive to the respective States in order to ground thereon a recommendation relative to this subject to the several States." Written at the War Office. Congress at this time was in New York City. Extensive water stains. Watermarked with a crest depicting a hunting horn with the letters GR below and I Taylor.

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources