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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Showing results 51 - 75

Pages

1776/03/23

Broadside

Title: Rejection of Olive Branch Petition by Congress; lets colonists arm vessels

The document sets regulations for arming vessels for defense and privateering. Printed by John Dunlap.

GLC04771

07 June 1776

Warren, James

Broadside

Title: Massachusetts resolution re: calling for meetings on question of independence

References: Bristol 4265.

GLC03760.01

after 04 July 1776

Paine, Robert Treat (1731-1814)

Broadside signed

Title: [Oath of allegiance to the independence of the United States]

Signed by 12 men, including two signers of the Declaration of Independence, Robert Treat Paine and Matthew Thornton. Paine's signature is unusual because he is from Massachusetts. Certifies that the signers, "Do solemnly swear, that I do renounce, refuse, and abjure, any Allegiance, or Obedience to George the III, King of Great Britain: and that I will to the utmost of my Power, support, maintain and defend the Independence of all the United States of America." Goes on to state that the signers also swear an oath of allegiance to the state of New Hampshire.

GLC00170

2 August 1776 circa

Jefferson, Thomas (1743-1826)

Broadside

Title: Declaration of Independence [Charleston, 1776]

Unrecorded and unique. Endorsed on verso. Peter Timothy was printer to the colony of South Carolina, and later to the state of North Carolina. News of the Declaration was received Aug. 2. Timothy's broadside follows Dunlap with minor variants of capitalization, spelling and punctuation.

GLC00959

23 August 1776

Howe, William (1729-1814)

Broadside

Title: A Proclamation: [appeal to Loyalists for amnesty and support]

With manuscript notes and calculations on verso

GLC00179

31 October 1776

George III, King of Great Britain (1738-1820)

Broadside

Title: Speech to Parliament re: "the troubles" in America

Printed by William & Thomas Bradford. The speech blames American leaders for the independence movement and announces the recovery of Canada and New York.

GLC01754

1777

Broadside

Title: Freshest Advices from the Northern Army [battle of Freeman's Farm at Saratoga]

Report on the battle of Freeman's Farm at Saratoga which made obvious to Burgoyne that he would have to surrender. References: Bristol B4441; Ford 2055.

GLC04840

25 January 1777

Washington, George (1732-1799)

Broadside

Title: Proclamation [Trenton proclamation]

Signed in type by Washington. The proclamation allowed residents of Trenton and Central New Jersey to reaffirm their loyalty to the United States, after devastating British campaigns.

GLC00070

1777/01/26

Massachusetts. Assembly

Broadside

Title: Address to the People of Massachusetts [call to arms] [broadside]

A call to arms mentioning Declaration of Independence and referring to Battles of Princeton and Trenton. The House of Representatives ordered it to be printed and be read by ministers to Sunday congregations.

GLC01400

18 March 1777

Howe, William (1729-1814)

Broadside

Title: Proclamation re: protection of property

British broadside meant to encourage renewed allegiance to the crown in New York and New Jersey.

GLC00178

1777/04/14

Hancock, John (1737-1793)

Broadside

Title: Resolution [revising act of Congress for governing troops]

Printed by Dunlap. Signed in type by John Hancock.

GLC01182

11 August 1777

Warren, James

Broadside

Title: (Massachusetts-Bay) Resolution providing for exchange of bad gunpowder

GLC03762

1777/08/11

Burgoyne, John (1722-1792)

Broadside

Title: Proclamation. [calling for loyal colonists to help the British Army]

Burgoyne's famous proclamation at the beginning of his ill-fated campaign. Using threats to prevent support for American troops. "I have but to stretch the Indian forces under my direction... to overtake the hardened enemies of Great Britain and America." Docketed on verso "Mr. John Newton's"

GLC06309

4 September 1777

Pemberton, Israel

Broadside

Title: The following remonstrance, was this day presented to the president and Council, by the hands of their secretary. To the president and council of Pennsylvania. The Remonstrance of Israel Pemberton, John Hunt, and Samuel Pleasants.

Pemberton, Hunt, and Pleasants were Quakers protesting their seizure and pending exile to Virginia because of suspected Loyalist sympathy. Printed by Robert Bell as the British army approached Philadelphia. Reference material: Evans 15498.

GLC01757

05 September 1777

Pemberton, James

Broadside

Title: To the president and Council of Pennsylvania. The remonstrance of the subscribers, freemen, and inhabitants of the city of Philadelphia.

Written by imprisoned pacifist Quakers to express their grievances. They claim their confinement to be unlawful. This is demonstrated by the ninth and tenth sections of the Declaration of Rights, which call for disclosure of accusations along with a speedy trial, and the necessity of a warrant for search and seizure, respectively. Argue that the warrant directing their confinement has been alarming and illegal stretch of power. Lists the names of twenty of the imprisoned men. Evans 15500.

GLC00360

1777/09/06

Gibson, John (1729-1782)

Broadside signed

Title: Instructions for officers entrusted with public money

Instruction to "any officer of the army of the United States... who hath been or shall be entrusted with or accountable for the public money."

GLC05155

9 September 1777

Pemberton, Israel

Broadside

Title: Mason's Lodge, September 9th, 1777, 10 o'clock P.M. To the inhabitants of Pennsylvania.

Title continues: "the following is a copy of a paper we received at half past four o'clock this afternoon, and we have since received orders to prepare for our banishment to-morrow." Reprints the resolutions issued by Secretary of the Supreme Executive Council Timothy Matlack that banishes twenty-two individuals to Virginia on suspicion of being Loyalist sympathizers. Page 2 includes the "Remonstrance and protest of the subscribers," which charges that the resolutions are arbitrary and unlawful. Evans 15501.

GLC01758

1777/09/28

Howe, William (1729-1814)

Broadside

Title: Proclamation offering protection to those who remain peaceably at home

Printed by James Humphreys, Junr. Printed at Philadelphia but issued from Howe's Head Quarters at Germantown.

GLC01183

circa October 1777

Unknown

Broadside

Title: Burgoyne's Lamentation, At his surrender to the American army, under General Gates.

Nine stanza poem printed in Boston. Each stanza has eight lines and follows an "aabbccdd" pattern of rhyme. This broadside is the seventh edition. Date is estimated as around the end of the Battle of Saratoga in October 1777, but it could be later than that given this is the seventh edition. Told from the point of view of British General John Burgoyne while he is surrounded by American forces. Burgoyne sends his lamentations to the Greek goddess Diana in the poem. First stanza mentions that earlier American generals made Burgoyne overconfident of an easy victory.

GLC04764.83

October 1777

Burgoyne, John (1722-1792)

Broadside

Title: Burgoyne's Lamentations. [Sarcastic pro-American poem re: defeat at Saratoga]

Broadside poem printed in two columes of type; poem beginning "Good heav'ns! The poem praises Gates, Stark, Arnold and Lincoln. It is written as if Burgoyne were narrating events surrounding his defeat at Saratoga. Compare to similar copy in Kingston-Burgoyne papers, GLC 4764, "Burgoyne's Lament" printed at Boston.

GLC06206

1778/02/03

U.S. Continental Congress. Thomson, Charles

Broadside

Title: Act: re: requiring officers to take oath of office

Signed in type by Charles Thomson. Prints the oath to be taken and describes the circumstances for taking the oath.

GLC01184

2 April 1778

Lowndes, Rawlins (fl. 1778)

Broadside

Title: Loyalty Oath to protect Independence of South Carolina

Cosigned by George Mason, Jason & Catherine West and others.

GLC07469

9 May 1778

Laurens, Henry (1724-1792)

Broadside

Title: A Proclamation.

This document is a proclamation ordering American ships to act according to an honest code and not take up piratical acts while in American waters. It is a printed broadside approved by Henry Laurens and Charles Thomson as President and Secretary respectively.

GLC04804.02

1778/05/09

Laurens, Henry (1724-1792)

Broadside

Title: An Address of the Congress to the Inhabitants of North America

An important statement of the Continental Congress (subscribed by Laurens, as President of Congress), concerning the origins of the Revolutionary War, the cruelty of the British, certainty of Independence, call to Arms, the resources of America; eventually "the full tide of wealth will flow in upon your shores." Printed at Boston by Powars & Willis.

GLC06779

June 6, 1778

Thompson, Charles

Broadside

Title: re: extending Continental officer subsistance money

Addressed to "all militia or other troops which may from time to time be called into the Continental service." Signed in type by Charles Tompson as Secretary of Congress. One bust engraving of Thompson included as collateral.

GLC07199

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