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.

Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728 to Simon Bradstreet and Joseph Stevens

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02493 Author/Creator: Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728 Place Written: Boston, Massachusetts Type: Autograph letter signed Date: February 28, 1716 Pagination: Order a Copy

Inquires about a man named Rudgen (or Brigden), who had moved into the neighborhood of the Boston church Mather ministered. Some people from Charlestown came to Mather with information that Rudgen had libeled his mother and signed a confession to that effect, and that because of the confession Bradstreet and Stevens had expelled him from their church in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Mather cannot permit him to worship at his church because of the expulsion, and he is distraught. Entreats them to visit Rudgen when they are in Boston. He would like to help Rudgen and requests them to advise him. 1 bust engraving of Cotton Mather included.

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