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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.

Peck, William (1755-1832) to Henry Knox

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.04513 Author/Creator: Peck, William (1755-1832) Place Written: Providence, Rhode Island Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 15 February 1790 Pagination: 3 p. : address : docket ; 23 x 18.7 cm. Order a Copy

Discusses a convention of the Rhode Island Legislature on adopting the constitution. States that "our Federal Friends were happy in the (almost) certainty of soon becoming a part of the Union; nor had they any course to change their opinion untill [sic] they found the Antis, by their unremitted exertion, had elected a majority of thir own people to decide upon the Constitution - What their decision will be is yet uncertain...We, however, hope for the best. Our Federal Delegates are many of them men of abilities and good speakers; this circumstance justifies us in the hope that ignorance & obstinacy will give way to Eloquence & fair reasoning - but should we fail in this we expect that solid Argument, a principle by which many of them have been frequently sway'd will again have its desired effect." Asks Knox to recommend him to the president for an appointment, as "there is no gentleman in the United States, to whose recommendation the President will pay more attention."

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806
Peck, William, 1755-1832

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