Our Collection

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.

Howard, Frank Key (1826-1872) Fourteen months in American Bastiles.

High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00267.356 Author/Creator: Howard, Frank Key (1826-1872) Place Written: Baltimore, Maryland Type: Pamphlet Date: 1863 Pagination: 89 p. ; 21.5 x 14 cm. Order a Copy

Published by Kelly, Hedian & Piet, Baltimore. Howard writes of his experience in prison. In the preface, Howard criticizes President Abraham Lincoln's policies during the Civil War, "The unlawful and oppressive acts of Mr. Lincoln ... " Francis Key Howard, the grandson of Francis Scott Key and a pro-Confederate Baltimore editor, was imprisoned for treason for fourteen months at Fort McHenry in September 1861. In all, 30 legislators from Maryland were seized for suspected disloyalty to the U.S. government. Most if not all were never given any criminal charge, and all were denied trial.

Howard, F. K. (Frank Key), 1826-1872

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources