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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.

Bowdoin, James, 1726-1790 to Elbridge Gerry

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02450.03 Author/Creator: Bowdoin, James, 1726-1790 Place Written: Boston, Massachusetts Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 1786/08/09 Pagination: 2 p. : docket ; Height: 32 cm, Width: 19.5 cm Order a Copy

The Governor of Massachusetts asks Gerry to attend a meeting for the selection of state representatives for the Annapolis Convention, where matters of interstate commerce in regard to the restrictions in the Articles of Confederation would be discussed. Implies the need for Gerry to serve, because "the council" had concluded there could "be no such representation, unless some of the Gentleman appointed for that purpose by the General Court, accept the appointment." The meeting was scheduled for the following day, in the Massachusetts senate chamber. A draft of Gerry's response dated 11 August 1786 appears on the verso. He notes that the meeting took place, a quorum was not met, and subsequently declines the appointment.

Bowdoin, James, 1726-1790
Gerry, Elbridge, 1744-1814

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