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At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 70,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World to soldiers’ letters from World War II and Vietnam. Explore primary sources, visit exhibitions in person or online, or bring your class on a field trip.

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Showing results 176 - 199

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9 April 1773

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)

Autograph letter signed

Title:

Responds to a complaint from the daughter of his recently deceased business partner, James Parker: "Desiring nothing but what is just, shall be more pleas'd to find little due to me than much...I think it contributes to the Duration of Friendship, to keep its Accounts, & those of Business, distinct & separate; and that as exact Justice in Pounds Shillings & Pence should be observed between Friends as between Strangers.

GLC09074

26 February 1775

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)

Autograph note signed

Title: to David Hartley

Signed in text in the opening of the note and written in the third-person: "Dr. Franklin presents..." Sarcastically explains British methods for taxing the American colonies. Date from docket.

GLC04632

28 November 1775

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Contracting Thomas Mumford of New London, Connecticut to acquire 50 tons of gunpowder for colonies]

Signed by Benjamin Franklin, Josiah Bartlett, Francis Lewis, Samuel Ward and Thomas Willing, all as members of a Committee of Secrecy appointed by the "honble. the Continental Congress..." Also signed by Thomas Mumford. Lays out the terms for the procurement and transaction.

GLC06401

circa 01 March 1777

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)

Manuscript document

Title: to unknown

This manuscript is a copy (possibly a draft) of part of an 01 March 1777 memorandum from American commissioners Benjamin Franklin and to Silas Deane to French foreign minister Vergennes, as they negotiated a contract with the Farmers General of France. [An autograph copy of the full memo is in the Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères of France, according to the Franklin Papers at the American Philosophical Society.]

GLC00496.159

circa May 1777

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)

Letter signed

Title: to unknown [incomplete]

Signed by Benjamin Franklin, Silas Deane, and Arthur Lee. Reports on their activities in France including getting Mr. Hodges released from the Bastille for lying about outfitting a privateer. Mentions receipt of commissions for Ralph Izard and William Lee (both appointed May 1777) but cites a lack of salary. Also mentions loans and subsidies requested from Europe. The lack of salary for Izard and Lee caused problems between them and Franklin. Date inferred from the commissions. The last three lines are in Franklin's hand. Last page only.

GLC00496.025

1777/05/27

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to nephew Jonathan Williams re: belief in ultimate success of American cause

Franklin states that "You and your Country are engag'd in a good Cause, which God will finally crown with Success. Let nothing discourage." Franklin also mentions Williams' son John in Nantes. Franklin concludes: "I continue amazing well and hearty for my Age, and hope to live to see the End of these Troubles, and our Country establish'd in Freedom, when it will soon become great and glorious, by being the Asylum of all the Oppress'd of Europe, and the Resort of the Wealthy who love Liberty...." (Stored as open folio)

GLC04430

7 April 1778

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Silas Deane

Franklin writes to Deane about an angry letter he received from Arthur Lee, who along with Franklin and Deane was on a diplomatic mission in France. Lee was mad at Deane for "going without acquainting him of it" and also angry with "the Court's sending a Minister to Congress without advising him." Not being trusted by Deane, Lee was kept ignorant of the secret supplies being sent to America via Hortalez & Cie. Lee sent reports to Congress about Deane's supposed embezzlement and helped bring about Deane's recall.

GLC02301

8 June 1778

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to David Hartley

Written by Franklin as a diplomat in France to Hartley as a member of the British Parliament. The two were friends since the 1760s. References a letter he wrote to Hartley on 25 May 1778 concerning 200 British prisoners of war. Franklin says "We are oblig'd to keep the Prisoners on shipboard where I doubt they can be comfortably accommodated" and hopes they can be exchanged. Hartley and Franklin would later work together in Paris to sign the peace treaty ending the war. Docketing appears to be in Hartley's hand.

GLC04449

1779/01/01

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Marquise de Boulainvilliers re: humorous use for Franklin's lightning rods

Written in French. With a collateral wrapper (with note in French), identifying it as a letter concerning marriage of the Marquise's daughter.

GLC07500

6 August 1781

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)

Letter signed

Title: to Charles Dumas

Written shortly after his appointment as one of five commissioners to negotiate peace with England, Franklin complains about the limited assistance the Netherlands had given the United States during the American Revolution.

GLC06402

18 December 1782

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Testimonial in defense of Silas Deane]

Franklin, as Ambassador to France, asserts that the accusations of fraud against Deane are false. British newspapers had accused Deane of making fraudulent purchases of munitions in France.

GLC00782.02

21 January 1783

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)

Letter

Title: to Robert R. Livingston, re: peace preliminaries [letterpress copy]

Letterpress retained (?) copy announcing preliminary peace accords between France, Britain, Spain and the United States.

GLC00154.04

31 May 1784

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Count Vergennes

Regardless of current discussions, notes that powers of consuls have been agreed to with Rayneval and are awaiting signatures.

GLC08336

1785/10/26

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Jay re: Jean-Antoine Hudon and bust of George Washington

"To take the bust of General Washington, in order to make his statue for that state [i.e., Virginia]... he is of the first reputation in his profession, and has a great share of the ambition I admire in an artist."

GLC07558

1785/12/03

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)

Document signed

Title: Printed pay order addressed to David Rittenhouse for Lewis Farmer (soldier)

Partly printed document directing payment to Farmer, "state Lieutenant Colonel of the 13th Regiment of the Pennsylvania Line ... the sum of two shillings eight pence, being one year's interest on his depreciation certificate...."

GLC04842.22

12 June 1786

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)

Letter signed

Title: to John Franklin, William Hooker Smith, and John Jenkins

Franklin, writing as president of the Pennsylvania Council, discusses the strife in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania, land that was claimed by both Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Acknowledges the "affliction" of the Yankee settlers, describes the testimony heard by the Council, and offers safe passage for an agent. The Connecticut settlers were later given clear title to the land, but John Franklin was imprisoned for treason. The conflict arose under the Articles of Confederation and helped justify support of a new Constitution.

GLC04686

18 June 1786

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)

Document signed

Title: Document authorizing payment to Alexander Parker (c/s John Nicholson)

Signed by Franklin as President of the Pennsylvania Executive Council. Docket and receipt penned on verso, with latter signed by Stephen Duncan.

GLC00184.11

1787

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)

Pamphlet

Title: The constitution of the Pennsylvania Society for promoting the abolition of slavery, and the relief of free negroes, unlawfully held in bondage. Begun in the year 1774, and enlarged on the twenty-third of April, 1787...

(title continues)... To which are added, the acts of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania, for the gradual abolition of slavery. Franklin was President of the society, and Benjamin Rush was one of two society secretaries. Includes "An Act to give relief to certain persons taking refuge in the state with respect to their slaves," authorizing those taking refuge in Pennsylvania to keep their slaves.

GLC07485.02

7 October 1787

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to George Clinton

Franklin, writing as president of the executive council of Pennsylvania, asks New York's Governor Clinton to aid in gathering evidence against conspirators in the Yankee-Pennamite war. The Pennamite Wars were organized (but not state-sponsored) battles between settlers from Pennsylvania and Connecticut who claimed land in the Wyoming Valley in northeast Pennsylvania. The day this letter was written, John Franklin, one of the Yankee leaders was sentenced by the Council of Pennsylvania to be kept in irons.

GLC02521

4 November 1787

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Jane Mecom

Writes to his sister in Boston about his feelings on his life of public service. Tells her that she should be direct in letting him know what she needs as he is willing to help her in any way. States that he planned to decline serving another year as President (possibly of the Executive Council of Pennsylvania) but that the country demanded him. Informs that he has been in public office for 50 years now. Writes that upon being sent to France, he observed to a friend that " ...

GLC01721

12 January 1788

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)

Letter signed

Title: to Samuel Huntington

Written by Franklin, signer of the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution, as President of the Executive Council of Pennsylvania to Huntington as Governor of Connecticut, three days after Connecticut ratified the Constitution. Writes in his capacity as President of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery.

GLC07485.01

1788/02/16-17

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Michel G. de Crevecoeur

Franklin thanks Crevecoeur for gifts received the previous summer, as well as pointing out the pros and cons of a steam engine in the postscript, dated February 17.

GLC07899

1789 ca.

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)

Print

Title: Colored mezzotint oval portrait

GLC07582

27 April 1789

Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Comte de Moustier re: observations on Congress, hopes for France

Franklin expresses his regrets for the late assembly of Congress, and adds his best wishes for the momentous meeting of the Estates General meeting that very day, "I pray sincerely that by means of that Assembly the public Interests may be advanced and succeed, and the future welfare and Glory of French Nation be firmly established."

GLC03277

Showing results 176 - 199

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