Morris, Robert (1734-1806) to William Walton Morris
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 #: GLC01528.01 Author/Creator: Morris, Robert (1734-1806) Place Written: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 7 April 1798 Pagination: 1 p. : docket ; 23 x 19 cm. Order a Copy
Warns of attempt to plunder the North American Land Company. Advises William not to provide information concerning the company, unless requested in writing. Written from debtor's prison after the collapse of the company. With a rare copy of the original prospectus from 1795 (see GLC01528.02).
Signer of the U.S. Constitution.
The North American Land Company failed in 1798, because revenues from installment sales and share sales did not come in quickly enough to meet the loan and tax deadlines, causing Morris to end up in debtors' prison.
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.