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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.

Sevier, John, 1745-1815 [Affidavit of innocence]

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02606 Author/Creator: Sevier, John, 1745-1815 Place Written: s.l. Type: Manuscript document Date: 11 May 1805 Pagination: 1 p. : docket Height: 32.5 cm, Width: 19.7 cm Order a Copy

Affidavit prepared for Tennessee Governor John Sevier as defendant in a case against Jenkin Whiteside. Co-signed by James Sevier as clerk that the contents of the affidavit were "sworn in Open Court." The case Jenkin Whiteside v. John Sevier revolved around money lost in a card game. This legal document states that Sevier was intoxicated at the time when he signed a promissory note. Says that Matthew Atkinson, a subscribing witness, can attest to the situation. Claims he never got any "Consideration" for the said bill and that the transaction was fraudulent. Says that after an investigation no jury would see otherwise.

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