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.

Smith, Gerrit (1797-1874) to Horace Greeley

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC04717.72 Author/Creator: Smith, Gerrit (1797-1874) Place Written: Peterboro, New York Type: Printed letter Date: 1 October 1872 Pagination: 1 p. ; 33.4 x 21.7 cm. Order a Copy

Mentions Greeley's run for the Presidency, noting "It is surely not for me to question the propriety of your being upon an electioneering tour." Agrees with Greeley that the reconciliation of the North and South should be the focus of the campaign, but disagrees with Greeley's "mode of treating" the topic. Criticizes the Democratic Party, declaring that "Kukluxism and Democracy are one."

Smith, a politician from New York, served as a U.S. Representative from 1853-1854. He was a noted philanthropist and social reformer active in anti-slavery campaigns and women's rights.

Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874
Greeley, Horace, 1811-1872

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