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.

Brown, John Jr. (1821-1895) to Alexander M. Ross

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03007.05 Author/Creator: Brown, John Jr. (1821-1895) Place Written: Put-In-Bay, Ohio Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 24 March 1878 Pagination: 3 p. ; 21.5 x 14 cm. Order a Copy

Encloses "one of the Commissions issued to my Father's men. I know of the existence of only two of them. These were brought back by my brother Owen," who wishes they be returned once Ross has made copies of them. One commission was signed by John Brown, the other "by Mr. Monroe as President of the Convention which was held in Chatham Canada, and is a Commission to Owen as 'Treasurer.'" GLC03007.55 is a photograph of the first of these commissions.

Alexander M. Ross was a famous Canadian naturalist, also a prominent abolitionist and a strong supporter of John Brown.

Brown, John Jr., 1821-1895
Ross, Alexander Milton, 1832-1897
Hazlett, Albert, 1837-1860
Brown, John, 1800-1859

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