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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.

Laurens, John, 1754-1782 to Henry Laurens

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC04343.01 Author/Creator: Laurens, John, 1754-1782 Place Written: London, England Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 14 August 1775 Pagination: 4 p. : Height: 23 cm, Width: 18.5 cm Order a Copy

Written by Laurens as a law student at Middle Temple in London to an unknown recipient. Says he can get this and maybe another letter through without it being intercepted by British government officials. Writes extensively on his opinions of the revolution in America. Says "there does not seem to me, to be Virtue enough in this Country to save it - the Ambition of a few, and their deep laid Schemes for establishing arbitrary power, will cut her off from her Strength and Support, and effect a total Separation of the Colonies from the Mother Country." Says he has read the recipient's's and his father, Henry Laurens's, letters and wishes he could be in America to assist the revolutionaries. Mentions friends and family. Says he has heard conflicting reports of the battles at Charlestown and Bunker Hill. Worries about his father.

Laurens, John, 1754-1782

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