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.

Jay, John (1745-1829) to William North

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02528.01 Author/Creator: Jay, John (1745-1829) Place Written: Albany, New York Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 4 May 1798 Pagination: 1 p. : docket ; 25 x 20 cm. Order a Copy

Written by Jay as Governor of New York, offering a U.S. Senate seat to North. He was being offered the seat vacated by Judge John S. Hobart who had accepted a judgeship for the District of New York. Is very pleased to be able to offer this honor to North saying it is "a proper Mark of Respect to the opinion of the many members of both Houses, whose Votes would have assigned that place to you last winter, had not Judge Hobart been a Candidate." Would like an answer with the return of the express.

A former Continental Army officer, North served in the Senate from May 5, 1798, to August 17, 1798, when a successor was elected and qualified; appointed adjutant general of the Army with the rank of brigadier general 1798-1800.

Jay, John, 1745-1829

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