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.

Henry, Patrick, 1736-1799 to Edward Telfair

Order a pdf of this item here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC06406 Author/Creator: Henry, Patrick, 1736-1799 Place Written: Prince Edward County, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 14 October 1790 Pagination: 1 p. : address Height: 27.9 cm, Width: 18.4 cm Order a Copy

Defends states' rights. In reference to the passage of the Indian Trade and Intercourse Act in July, 1790, he argues that if the Congress becomes the arbiter of land titles, the states' sovereignty will be diminished and all "landed property" will be in jeopardy. Alludes to the Yazoo land deal the two men were involved in, which was affected by the legislation.

Henry, Patrick, 1736-1799
Telfair, Edward, 1735-1807

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources