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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.

Powers, R.L., fl. 1876 to Blanche Kelso Bruce

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09400.192 Author/Creator: Powers, R.L., fl. 1876 Place Written: Macon, Mississippi Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 6 December 1876 Pagination: 2 p. : docket ; Height: 20.1 cm, Width: 12.7 cm Order a Copy

Powers is writing to Senator Bruce to ask him to keep an eye on Power's nomination to the Senate, and if there is strong opposition to let him know so he can come to Washington to defend himself. In the second half of the letter Powers mentions that the "motto of the Mississippi Democracy is to "Rule or Destroy the negro" and they are as cruel and unrelenting as savages in pursuing this policy.".

Bruce, Blanche Kelso, 1841-1898
Powers, R.L., fl. 1876

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