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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.

Monroe, James, 1758-1831 Copy of a letter from Col. James Lewis to Col. James Monroe

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00496.064 Author/Creator: Monroe, James, 1758-1831 Place Written: Albemarle, Virginia Type: Autograph letter Date: October 12, 1826 Pagination: 3 p. : Height: 25 cm, Width: 20 cm Order a Copy

Lewis, Monroe's attorney, describes the circumstances under which he sold Monroe's land above Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1806; the land on which the University of Virginia was later established. A need to settle Monroe's debts compelled the sale. Per Monroe's request, Lewis also comments on the differences between the original price of the land and the present prices. A postscript offers to verify the letters content, since Lewis based the information on memory. Lewis attended to Monroe's financial affairs while Monroe served as a diplomat in Europe between 1803 and 1807. Handwritten copy of original letter made by Monroe.

Monroe, James, 1758-1831
Lewis, James, fl. 1826

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