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.

Tyler, John (1790-1862) to Robert Tyler re: favoring annexation of Texas to expand cotton monopoly

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 #: GLC06397 Author/Creator: Tyler, John (1790-1862) Place Written: Sherwood Forest Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 1850/04/16 Pagination: 3 p. + docket 25.7 x 20.2 cm Order a Copy

Annexation of Texas to expand the cotton monopoly, not to divide the nation over slavery. "The monopoly of the cotton plant was the great and important concern... an embargo for a single year would produce in Europe a greater amount of suffering than a fifty years war."

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources