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.

Stevens, John (1749-1838) to Henry Knox

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.04106 Author/Creator: Stevens, John (1749-1838) Place Written: Hoboken, New Jersey Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 7 February 1789 Pagination: 1 p. : address : docket ; 21.1 x 17 cm. Order a Copy

Asks that Knox forward about 50 pounds to pay his rent.

It is unclear, without further research, whether the author is John Stevens, Jr. (1715-1792) or John Stevens III (1749-1838). Letter is written from Hoboken, New Jersey, the ancestral home of both. Letter is signed "John Stevens Junr.," but occasionally, titles like "Junior" and "Senior" would shift after the death of an elder namesake. Thus, after the death of John Stevens I (1682-1737), his son, previously titled "Junior," might come to be colloquially called "Senior," and his grandson, previously titled John Stevens III, might come to be referred to as "Junior."

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806
Stevens, John, 1749-1838

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