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.

Duer, William, 1747-1799 [Principles of agreement between Henry Knox and William Duer and the state of Massachusetts]

Order a pdf of this item here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.04971 Author/Creator: Duer, William, 1747-1799 Place Written: New Brunswick, New Jersey Type: Autograph document signed Date: 2 June 1791 Pagination: 5 p. : docket ; Height: 32.1 cm, Width: 20 cm Order a Copy

Agreement of Knox and Duer to purchase lands in the District of Maine from the state of Massachusetts. Written in Duer's hand. The major stipulations include: an equal stake in the investment for both parties, a desire to pay only 12 cents per acre in no less than five annual installments, that only Knox and Duer are directors of this purchase with William Constable being given the option to join them during a six-month period after the purchase, and that Henry Jackson and Royal Flint are to serve as agents for the purchase. Goes on to provide stipulations that "subordinate parties" will have to abide by if they invest in this purchase. Duer's own signature is at the bottom of page 5, along with his copied signatures of Henry Knox, Henry Jackson, and John Lane.

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources