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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.

Madison, William (1762-1843) to James Madison

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00496.267 Author/Creator: Madison, William (1762-1843) Place Written: s.l. Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 5 May 1794 Pagination: 2 p. ; 22.9 x 19.1 cm. Order a Copy

Writes to his brother, then a Virginia congressman, about advocating for Madison's resolutions (in favor of a policy of commercial retaliation against European powers) in an election. The comment that the resolutions, which Madison submitted to Congress in December 1793, were "attached to the British nation" alludes to Madison's position that President Washington's 1793 proclamation of neutrality in the conflict between Britain and France unwisely showed indifference to the French movement toward republicanism. Also discusses the growing unpopularity of the excise tax and urges its repeal. Suggests that petitions from Pennsylvania and Maryland provide an opportunity to "bring forward the motion." The Whiskey Rebellion erupted a few months later. A note penciled on the document at a later date incorrectly identifies the author as James Madison's father.

Madison, William, 1762-1843
Madison, James, 1751-1836

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