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.

Clarke, Matthew St. Clair (1791-1852) [American Colonization Society circular proposing steamship line between the United States and Africa]

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC05492 Author/Creator: Clarke, Matthew St. Clair (1791-1852) Place Written: Washington, D.C. Type: Printed letter signed Date: 31 May 1850 Pagination: 1 p. : address ; 25.2 x 19.8 cm. Order a Copy

Addressed to "His Excellency the Gov of NJ" (Daniel Haines). Signed by [Matthew St. Clair Clarke]. Copy of the memorial of Joseph Bryan, of Alabama, to Congress, proposing to establish a line of steam ships between the U.S. and Africa. Cites the need for maintaining a naval force on the western coast of Africa, the need for extinguishing the slave trade, to extend trade between the United States and Africa, and to convey free people of color to Africa, if they wish to emigrate.

Haines, Daniel, 1801-1877
Clarke, Matthew St. Clair, 1791-1852
Bryan, Joseph, fl. 1850-1862

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