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.

Tolstoy, Leo to Mr. Herron

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC05508.245.02 Author/Creator: Tolstoy, Leo Place Written: s.l. Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 10 July 1895 Pagination: 4 p. 21 x 13.9 cm Order a Copy

Tolstoy critiques Herron's book, "The Christian State." He agrees with Herron's view of Christianity as a "politic and economic doctrine." He was especially struck by Herron's "denunciation of the American people for not having fulfilled its vocations." He disagrees with Herron's handling of Church and State, accusing the author of "pouring old wine into new bottles."

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