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.

Ku Klux Klan to Charles Sumner

High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03979 Author/Creator: Ku Klux Klan Place Written: Culpeper, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 18 February 1872 Pagination: 1 p. ; 24.9 x 19.6 cm Order a Copy

The KKK order Senator Sumner, a noted abolitionist and advocate for African-American rights, to leave Washington, D. C. before 4 March 1872. The Klan declares "the KK are strong in this Section and bifor Long we will Sting the Yankee Farmer Living in this place as we want to clean the Yankee from this Land So take warning one and all".

Sumner, Charles, 1811-1874

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources