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.

Bainbridge, William (1774-1833) to Amos Binny

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00496.008 Author/Creator: Bainbridge, William (1774-1833) Place Written: Charleston, South Carolina Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 3 June 1802 Pagination: 1 p. ; 26 x 21 cm. Order a Copy

Discusses the questionable abilities of Joshua Humphreys, designer of the frigates Constitution and United States, and the shortcomings of these ships. It was on the USS Constitution that Bainbridge defeated the HMS Java and returned victorious to Boston Harbor in 1813, earning the ship its name "Old Ironsides." Binny was a Navy agent.

Bainbridge, William, 1774-1833
Binny, Amos, fl. 1801-1825

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