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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.

Tilghman, William [Subscription for the barge experiment]

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00218.02 Author/Creator: Tilghman, William Place Written: Talbot County, Maryland Type: Document signed Date: 02 May 1781 Pagination: 2 p. ; 31.6 x 19 cm. Order a Copy

Also signed by Thomas Ray, Robert Pickering, W. Dawson, James Benson, Richard Parrott, Joseph Hartley, W. Gibson, [?] Gibson, B. Skinner, Hugh Rice, and William Tilghman. Document claims the British have fitted a number of small vessels that have been raiding and plundering the coast of Maryland. Says that the state treasury is overburdened and that the 11 signers will support and maintain a barge and a ship to protect their shores between Kent Point and Tilghman's Island for two months. Want ships manned by 20 men exclusive of officers. Will pay the charges and expenses in proportion to the assessment of their property.

Paca, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, served as Governor of Maryland 1782-1785.

Paca, William, 1740-1799
Tilghman, William, 1756-1827
Ray, Thomas, fl. 1791
Pickering, Robert, fl. 1781
Dawson, W., fl. 1781
Benson, James, fl. 1781
Parrott, Richard, fl. 1781
Hartley, Joseph

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