Our Collection

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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1805/07/10

N.B. (fl. 1805)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mr. Patterson re: naval blockades

N.B. states that a British fleet has just sailed to France and established a naval blockade. Docketed on address leaf.

GLC03107.04499

29 October 1777

Knox, Henry (1750-1806)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Lucy Knox

Discusses the attack by Hessian Colonel Count Carl von Donop against a redoubt at Red Bank, the site of Fort Mercer, along the Delaware River below Camden, New Jersey. Notes that Colonel Greene, from Rhode Island, defended the redoubt, and even wounded Count Donop. Also describes the British attack on Fort Mifflin, in Philadelphia.

GLC02437.00661

28 October 1778

McHenry, James (1753-1816)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Hugh Williamson

A retained working draft (see strikeouts and docket). Written by McHenry as an aide-de-camp to General Washington to Dr. Williamson as a merchant importing medicines in Edenton, North Carolina. Williamson began a partnership with his brother to import medicines through the British blockade from the West Indies. Claims to have poor intelligence on the enemy in New York, but proceeds to give some details of their situation. Says 150 vessels, including 15 ships of the line, sailed from Sandy Hook on the 19 and 20 October 1778. Says they appear to be bound for Britain.

GLC04701

12 May 1780

Jefferson, Thomas (1743-1826)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to [Philip Mazzei] re: Virginia loan in Europe & British blockade of Charleston

Written as Gov. of Virginia. Jefferson alludes at the end to his hopes that Gen. Benjamin Lincoln would hold Charleston, but his hopes were dashed in the event.

GLC03735

6 September 1780

Knox, Henry (1750-1806)

Autograph document

Title: [Continental Army War Council minutes]

Minutes of a council of war held by Washington with his generals on 6 September 1780 at Camp Bergen County. Discusses the effects of a blockade in Rhode Island Harbor by the British fleet on the amount of supplies and the issue of raising troops as the term for the men currently serving is due to expire. Bergen County, New Jersey.

GLC02437.00838

21 July 1800

Hudson & Goodwin (fl. 1787-1800)

Newspaper

Title: Connecticut courant. [Vol. XXXV no. 1852 (July 21, 1800)]

Prints an announcement from the secretary of the treasury on national borrowing, an editorial against President Thomas Jefferson, a Rhode Island law to prevent "Peddling of Feathers, Indigo, and Tin Ware," international news on wars in Italy and Germany, and a proclamation by Toussaint L'Overture announcing a blockade over the southern ports of St. Domingo (present day Haiti).

GLC08726.02

1800-1855 ca.

Bailey Family (fl. ca. 1800-1855)

Various

Title: War of 1812 documents and correspondence including muster rolls

Mostly receipts, militia muster rolls, etc. relating to the Bailey family. With some legal documents before and after the war.

GLC02669.01

1800-1855 ca.

Bailey Family (fl. ca. 1800-1855)

Various

Title: War of 1812 documents and correspondence including muster rolls

Correspondence of the Flitner family (1850s) and a single letter concerning the Union blockade off the North Carolina coast.

GLC02669.02

1800-1855 ca.

Bailey Family (fl. ca. 1800-1855)

Header Record

Title: War of 1812 documents and correspondence including muster rolls [decimalized .001 - .107]

Mostly receipts, militia muster rolls, etc. relating to the Bailey family. Includes some legal documents before and after the war. Also contains correspondence of the Flitner family (1850s) and a single letter concerning the Union blockade off the North Carolina coast.

GLC02669

1807/02/09

Skipwith, Fulwar

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mr. Patterson re: hope for a return to free trade

Skipwith writes that he hopes the British will cease their blockade of French ports so that free trade may resume. Docketed on address leaf.

GLC03107.04502

28 August 1812

Monroe, James (1758-1831)

Document signed

Title: Additional Instruction to the public and private armed vessels of the United States

Printed letter signed by Secretary of State James Monroe. Orders that public and private armed vessels are not to stop American merchant ships coming from British ports with British goods because of the "alledged" repeal of the British Orders in Council. Asks that merchant ships be assisted and says that cargoes can be dealt with on arrival. The Orders in Council were repealed on 16 June 1812, two days before Congress declared war. The news arrived too late to influence events.

GLC04675.03

21 June 1813

Hodgdon, Silvanus (fl. 1813-1815)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nathan Hodgdon

Informs his uncle that he has been aboard the frigate Macedonian for two months, which he reports is blockaded in by seven British ships. Asks him to send a letter to his mother and to give his love to friends and family. Also notes that his captain, Capt. Jones, is preparing for a meeting with a British captain.

GLC01450.705.01

15 September 1813

Bronson, Enos (1774-1823)

Newspaper

Title: United States gazette. [Vol. XIII, no. 1284 (September 15 1813)]

Published by Enos Bronson & Elihu Chauncey from 1804-1818. Uncut newspaper covering various aspects of the War of 1812. Contains news from Paris and elsewhere in Europe as well as from around the United States. Contains reports on a naval victories, a British blockade of the port of New Haven, military intelligence, and government issues.

GLC08430.09

11 December 1813

Oliver, Robert Dudley (d. 1850)

Manuscript document

Title: [Bloackade of Long Island Sound Confirmed]

Copy of a letter from Captain Oliver, a senior British officer in the Long Island Sound, to Don Thomas Stoughton, the Spanish Consul in New York. Informs Stoughton that a British ship called the Valient was off New London, Connecticut, and orders were in place to blockade the Long Island Sound, effective 6 December 1813. Asks that the intelligence be communicated "to the other neutral consuls in your district." Message dated from the Philadelphia Gazette and originally from the New York Gazette of 9 December 1812.

GLC02978.27

1815-1860

Bailey T. (1805-1877)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Flag Officer

Discusses a "contraband negro" who brought news of confederate troop movements

GLC04188.05

10 May 1823

Monroe, James (1758-1831)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to unknown

Probably sent to John Quincy Adams as Secretary of State by President Monroe. Letter believed to be a precursor to the Monroe Doctrine. Said he had to withdraw the nomination of John B. Prevost, Aaron Burr's nephew, as Charge d'Affaires to Peru from the Senate. Monroe has heavily crossed out the words "Prevost" and "Peru" throughout the letter. Says he probably would have been rejected and that would have caused too much harm to Prevost's reputation. Wants Adams to write to Prevost and tell him everything that is being said about him.

GLC01137

19 May 1824

The Committee on Foreign Relations

Pamphlet

Title: [Report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs on Piracy around Cuba and Puerto Rico from the 18th Congress]

Printed report "Of the Committee on Foreign Affairs to which was referred so much of the President's message, as relates to Piracies committed on the Commerce of the United States, in the neighborhood of the Islands of Cuba and Porto Rico." Says the measures adopted by the last session of Congress and the zeal of naval officers in the Caribbean have put a stop to piracy. Says pirates have operated from Cuba "for years" under the eye of the Spanish government. Says the Spanish government was complicit in the acts.

GLC04604.01

20 January 1825

Southard, Samuel L. (1787-1842)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Isaac Mayo

Written by Southard as Secretary of the Navy to Lieutenant Mayo. Southard forwards Commodore Charles Stewart's opinion that Mayo needs to remain in the country for his trial. Says he is to apprise the Department of the Navy of his residence from time to time. Mayo was on the ship U.S.S. North Carolina. Note on verso signed by Mayo says that he attended Stewart's trial and then took passage on the frigate "Brandywine" and rejoined the U.S.S. North Carolina at Gibraltar as Flag Lieutenant to Commodore John Rodgers.

GLC04604.06

21 July 1825

Southard, Samuel L. (1787-1842)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Isaac Mayo

Southard as Secretary of the Navy asks Lieutenant Mayo to report to Captain James Banon, President of the Naval Court Martial, as a witness in the case of Charles Stewart. Stewart was being accused of convoying a foreign (British) ship into a blockaded port. He was eventually acquitted.

GLC04604.08

15 November 1828

Elliott, Jesse Duncan (1782-1845)

Manuscript

Title: to Isaac Mayo

Written by Captain Elliott as commander of the West India Squadron to Lieutenant Mayo as commander of the schooner "Grampus" stationed off the coast of Cuba. This is a clerical copy, with clerical signature of Elliott, of general instructions to Mayo. Marked "Confidential." Says future official communications should be sent to him and copies sent to the Secretary of Navy. Says the government thinks it necessary to have a naval presence in the West Indies and Gulf of Mexico and has put him in charge of it.

GLC04604.14

28 November 1846

Semmes, Raphael (1809-1877)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to David Conner

Reports that the Mexican brig Creole had been boarded and burned by men under his command during a blockade of Vera Cruz. The destruction of the Creole has obliterated Vera Cruz's commerce, as she was the city's only ship. Written as lieutenant, commanding the U.S. brig Somers.

GLC02647

1846-1882

McKean Family (fl. 1846-1882)

Header Record

Title: [Correspondence of McKean Family] [Decimalized .01- .18]

Collection of the descendants of Thomas McKean, with genealogy. Includes a report of a "contraband" working on Mississippi fortifications during the Civil War. Most letters are correspondence with Flag Officer William W. McKean (who performed blockade duty during the Civil War but had previously served on board the USS Dale during the 1840s, possibly under McBlair- see GLC00722). Most items with transcriptions; includes genealogy of the Ely Family. Includes 18 letters, 2 carte-de-visites and 2 envelopes.

GLC04188

1856-1865

West, Lewis H. (b. 1829)

Header Record

Title: Correspondence of 90 letters and documents with 3 maps on the blockade of Port Royal, South Carolina [decimalized .01-.90]

West was a Union naval officer in the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, mostly serving off South Carolina and Georgia. This collection begins with three documents from West's service on a merchant marine ship off China. He served on the USS "Perry" April-August 1861, the USS "Wabash" August-October 1861, the USS "Alabama" October 1861-October 1862, the USS "Ladona" (also spelled Lodona) October 1862-August 1863, the USS "New Ironsides" October 1863-April 1864, and the USS "Fernandina" April 1864-March 1865.

GLC03836

1860

Gardner, Alexander (1821-1882)

Photograph

Title: C.S.S. Teaser damaged by U.S. gunboat

The image shows the extensive damage to the deck of a Confederate boat. Inscription on verso: "Deck of Confederate blockade runner Teaser showing destruction caused by shell fired by US gunboat [?] " and "Gardner." Numeric noations on verso: "XXV" and "483."

GLC05111.01.1108

1860

Photograph

Title: Ruins of a blockade runner, Morris Island, SC [split stereocard]

Image shows the machinery in ruins of a destroyed blockade runner. Numeric notation on image: "3504." Inscription on image: "The War For The Union." Numeric notation on verso: "368." Inscription on verso: "4-169 Dup," "War V [cut off]," "Machinery of the Blockade Runner [cut off]," "'Ruby' -Morris Is. S.C.," and "Published by E. & H. [cut off] American and Foreign Stereoscopic [cut off]."

GLC05111.01.1170

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