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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.

Bruce, Blanche Kelso, 1841-1898 [Collection of letters of the first African American to serve a full term in the Senate] [Decimalized .001- .660]

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09400 Author/Creator: Bruce, Blanche Kelso, 1841-1898 Place Written: s.l. Type: Header Record Date: 1869-1890 Pagination: 690 items Order a Copy

Over 600 letters and documents received by the first African American to serve a full term in the Senate. Born into slavery, Bruce was elected by Mississippi and served from 1875 to 1881. Includes over 100 letters seeking appointments, political favors, etc.; several House Bills regarding the Mississippi River Improvement Commission; a broadside by James Redpath outlining "A Policy For the Blacks-Letter to a Colored Mississippian-The Present Policy Discussed;" and letters regarding crimes and incidents of a racial nature.

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