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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.

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 to James M. Waite re: his true first name, Abraham

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC07133 Author/Creator: Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 Place Written: Springfield, Illinois Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 1860/05/30 Pagination: 1 p. 20.1 x 13.3 cm Order a Copy

An intriguing letter, no doubt in response to one of the many letters Lincoln received after he became a presidential candidate. In full: "You ask for my true ch(r)istian name. It is Abraham."

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