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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.

Jackson, Henry (1747-1809) to Henry Knox

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.05153 Author/Creator: Jackson, Henry (1747-1809) Place Written: Boston, Massachusetts Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 11 September 1791 Pagination: 7 p. : docket ; 22.5 x 18.6 cm. Order a Copy

References Knox's letter of 4 September. Did everything he could to get another million acres of land in Maine for Knox. Reports that the committee is "even affraid to think of selling, much more to treat with me on the subject." Writes that since the committee thinks "they have given us our other purchase, they are & will be cautious, how they move in any further sales." Has received no other information on their purchase other than what he received from Phineas Bruce, which he has already sent to Knox and William Duer. Reports that "few or no persons have even travel'd through it except Indians." Encloses a copy of a letter he wrote to Bruce on 5 September (see GLC02437.05144). Says he will help Madame de la Val and Mr. de la Roche in any way he can, but he wishes they had arrived earlier in the season. Writes of the prospective deal with Leval: "I am clearly of your opinion, that the present State of France is not to be neglected, and if we succeed in the first instance our prospects will be great." States that when Leval and Bruce view the land, it will be expensive to hire a "Hingham Packet," but it will be better than traveling in "a dirty disagreeable wood coaster." Asserts that first impressions are important, and the visitors should be taken to the Schoodie River with a stop at Machias. Might not be able to go himself, but promises to send someone who can show them the area properly. Says that Mr. Jarvis is at Penobscot to employ a surveyor for their new purchase.

Jackson, Henry, 1747-1809
Knox, Henry, 1750-1806
Duer, William, 1747-1799
Bruce, Phineas, 1762-1809

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