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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.

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874 to Frederick Douglass

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC04717.18 Author/Creator: Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874 Place Written: Peterboro, New York Type: Printed letter Date: 25 May 1852 Pagination: 4 p. : Height: 24.7 cm, Width: 20.2 cm Order a Copy

Smith offers his opinions on Lajos Kossuth, the Hungarian revolutionary hero. Writes, "I have not seen Kossuth:- but I have read his Speeches. The impression they have made upon me is, that he is not only transcendently eloquent- especially when his country, his deeply wronged country, is his theme- but that he is a man of extraordinary judgment, discernment, skill, tact: and that he is, moreover, eminently unselfish..." Praises the growth of good principles that result from revolution. Includes a handwritten correction on page three.

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874
Douglass, Frederick, 1818-1895
Kossuth, Lajos, 1802-1894

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