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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.

Thomas, John (1724-1776) to the Committee of Safety of Massachusetts

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02498.15 Author/Creator: Thomas, John (1724-1776) Place Written: Roxbury, Massachusetts Type: Autograph document signed Date: 14 May 1775 Pagination: 1 p. : docket ; 12.4 x 14.9 cm. Order a Copy

Says agreeable to the resolves put forth by the Committee that he gave directions for Captain Davis to travel southward. Wants them to send whaling ships to Plymouth to help with its defenses. Thomas, who was eventually named a Major General, died on 2 June 1776 of Smallpox after leading his troops on the retreat from Montreal. Hard to read.

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