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.

Emerson, Ralph Waldo (1803-1882) An address delivered in the court-house in Concord, Massachusetts, on 1st August, 1844, on the anniversary of the emancipation of the negroes of the British West Indies

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 #: GLC05766 Author/Creator: Emerson, Ralph Waldo (1803-1882) Place Written: Boston, Massachusetts Type: Pamphlet Date: 1844 Pagination: 34 p. ; 22.5 x 14 cm. Order a Copy

Speech by Emerson attacking slavery, one of his earliest statements in support of abolition. First edition. Published by James Munroe and Company.

Emerson, Ralph Waldo, 1803-1882

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources