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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.

Williams, Jonathan (1750-1815) to Henry Knox

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.04917 Author/Creator: Williams, Jonathan (1750-1815) Place Written: Richmond, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 18 April 1791 Pagination: 2 p. : address : docket ; 22.6 x 21.5 cm. Order a Copy

Writes Knox about his assessment of what will be the "Federal City," referring to Washington D.C. "It is so planned," Williams writes, as to make the River a diagonal line through the Square, leaving a right angled triangle on each side of it...taking in the greatest Quantity of tide water." Williams calls the location "judicious." Williams is concerned that purchasers of "Lotts" in the Federal City might not get reimbursed. He declares that "every purchaser on the Condition of the City being built must have a right to reimbursement in failure of the Condition." President George Washington "has appointed the 27th Day of June next to be on the Spot again." Williams missed "the public dinner" that Washington attended but was able to see him another time. Williams amuses himself with the thought of those who are complaining that they were not invited to the dinner.

Williams, Jonathan, 1750-1815
Knox, Henry, 1750-1806
Washington, George, 1732-1799

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