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.

Peyton, William M. (William Madison) (1805-1868) A written and printed version of a letter from William M. Peyton to William Cabell Rives discussing Virginia's secession [Decimalized .01-.02]

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC05021 Author/Creator: Peyton, William M. (William Madison) (1805-1868) Place Written: s.l. Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 15 May 1861 Pagination: 2 items Order a Copy

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
Peyton, William M. (William Madison), 1805-1868
Rives, William C. (William Cabell), 1793-1868

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