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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.

Davis, Dudley, fl. 1767-1773 to Robert Livingston, Jr. re: plea to settle account

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03107.03279 Author/Creator: Davis, Dudley, fl. 1767-1773 Place Written: Albany, New York Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 1773/06/05 Pagination: 5p. + addr. 24 x 20 cm Order a Copy

Davis states that Robert, Jr.'s attorney treats him in a most unfriendly manner and wishes to imprison him for reasons that remain unknown to Davis. He then discusses his most critical financial state, which has kept him in and out of prison, and has hurt his family as well. Taking this crisis into consideration, Davis asks Robert, Jr. to allow him more time to pay his debt, and claims that imprisonment would only remove him from his work and further impede payment of his debts. He also attests to his honesty by pointing out that he could have fled the province long ago, but has decided to remain in New York and settle his accounts in an honest and proper manner. Docketed on address leaf.

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