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.

Gates, Horatio (1728-1806) to Jonathan Trumbull

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC06658 Author/Creator: Gates, Horatio (1728-1806) Place Written: Travelers Rest, West Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 23 April 1790 Pagination: 2 p. : address : docket ; 23.4 x 18.3 cm. Order a Copy

Complains that the House is wasting constituents' money by spending too long debating measures. Says that he foresaw the trouble created by the debate over the federal assumption of state debts. Despite quarrels, still thinks "the permanence of the Federal Government depends almost entirely on the Assumption."

Horatio Gates was a British born officer who became an American General during the American Revolution, and played an important role in the fighting. He later left the army and began to participate in politics as a strong supporter of the new Constitution.
Johnathan Trumbull served Connecticut as a Congressman from 1789-1794 and later as Senator and Governor. His father, also Johnathan Trumbull, was Governor of the state. He was a strong supporter of Alexander Hamilton's policies and the idea of a strong central government.

Gates, Horatio, 1728-1806
Trumbull, Jonathan, 1740-1809

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