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.

Powell, Jeremiah, 1714-1789 to Selectmen of Newburyport

Order a pdf of this item here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC01412.25 Author/Creator: Powell, Jeremiah, 1714-1789 Place Written: Boston, Massachusetts Type: Letter signed Date: September 1, 1778 Pagination: 1 p. : address : docket : free frank Height: 22.5 cm, Width: 17.9 cm Order a Copy

Letter written by Powell as President of the Massachusetts Bay Council, which was the upper house of the legislature when the General Court was in session to the selectmen of Newburyport, a northern coastal town. The president of the council was always the most senior member of the legislature. He warns of a British fleet sighted near Boston, said to consist of 15 capital ships and seven frigates, and wants to give notice to neighboring towns so they can prepare.

Powell, Jeremiah, 1714-1789

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources