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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.

Bradford, William, 1729-1808 to Lydia Bradford

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC05508.047 Author/Creator: Bradford, William, 1729-1808 Place Written: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 26 December 1795 Pagination: 1 p. : Height: 25.3 cm, Width: 20.6 cm Order a Copy

Bradford gives condolence to his daughter, Lydia, for young men who died at sea, and expresses the sentiment that while this may be unfortunate "to us as men, it must be right as relative to Deity." He also mentions visiting a Roman Catholic church in Philadelphia on Christmas day. There is also some discussion of legal business before Congress; Bradford was a senator from Rhode Island.

Bradford, William, 1755-1795

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