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.

Warren, James, 1726-1808 to Elbridge Gerry

Order a pdf of this item here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03962 Author/Creator: Warren, James, 1726-1808 Place Written: Boston, Massachusetts Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 1777/03/24 Pagination: 3 p. : docket ; Height: 23 cm, Width: 18.5 cm Order a Copy

Warren indicates that he has recently written "a long letter to Mr. Adams" that communicated all consequential information, so this letter is written out of friendship rather than to provide intelligence. Comments on the arrival of a French officer, who did not receive a proper welcome because of he arrived on a Sunday. Notes "Impatience for the Arrival of the ships from France destined to" Boston. Discusses concern over matters in the House regarding the army and the embargo, lamenting the venal spirit that he views as destroying patriotism during the American Revolution. Comments: "I envy the Indians their simplicity and the savages their barbarism" because they lack the commercial spirit he describes as attendant to civilization.

Warren, James, 1726-1808
Gerry, Elbridge, 1744-1814

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources