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.

Thompson, Ruth Brown (1829-1904) to Alexander M. Ross

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03007.46 Author/Creator: Thompson, Ruth Brown (1829-1904) Place Written: Pasadena, California Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 31 January 1897 Pagination: 4 p. ; 20 x 12.5 cm. Order a Copy

Praises Ross, thanks him for his friendship, and wishes they could see each other. Talks of beautiful California weather and geography. Worries that her husband, Henry Thompson, may not have long to live.

Ruth Brown Thompson was John Brown's daughter.
Alexander M. Ross was a famous Canadian naturalist, also a prominent abolitionist and a strong supporter of John Brown.

Thompson, Ruth Brown, 1829-1904
Ross, Alexander Milton, 1832-1897
Brown, John, 1800-1859
Thompson, Henry, 1822-1911

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