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.

Concanen & Lee Uncle Sam.

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC05508.013.11 Author/Creator: Concanen & Lee Place Written: s.l. Type: Print Date: circa 1853-1863 Pagination: 1 print : col. ; 34.5 x 23.5 cm. Order a Copy

Sheet music cover depicting a male runaway slave, Uncle Sam. "The Great Slave Song, respectfully dedicated to Anderson, the fugitive slave & sung with immense success by T. Maclagan." Written by G. W. Hunt with music by Frederic Archer.

Dating based on dedication to "Anderson the Fugitive Slave." As a runaway slave, Anderson killed a bounty hunter in 1853 and escaped to Canada. He was pursued by the U.S. government and put on trial for murder in 1860, and exonerated in accordance with British law. The song could have been dedicated any time during or after his ordeal.

Concanen & Lee, fl. 1853-1863
Stowe, Harriet Beecher, 1811-1896
Archer, Frederic, fl. 1853-1863
Hunt, G.W., fl. 1853-1863

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