Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 70,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World to soldiers’ letters from World War II and Vietnam. Explore primary sources, visit exhibitions in person or online, or bring your class on a field trip.

Back to Collection Search

Jay, John (1745-1829) to Elbridge Gerry

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.

Log in
to see this thumbnail image

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC07490 Author/Creator: Jay, John (1745-1829) Place Written: Madrid, Spain Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 18 November 1780 Pagination: 2 p. ; 29.8 x 20.6 cm.

A high-resolution version of this object is available for registered users. LOG IN

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC07490 Author/Creator: Jay, John (1745-1829) Place Written: Madrid, Spain Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 18 November 1780 Pagination: 2 p. ; 29.8 x 20.6 cm.

Summary of Content: Jay agrees to attend to Mr. Warren (the son of the late General Joseph Warren, killed at Bunker Hill), should he visit Madrid. He also refers to passage of the Massachusetts Constitution and asks Gerry to send him a copy. Jay states that he has been "led to entertain high Expectations of your form of Government." Docketed by Gerry. Gerry's draft autograph letter response is penned in the left margin to Jay. Gerry writes back from Marblehead, Massachusetts on 20 September 1781, enclosing a copy of Massachusetts' new constitution and some newspapers [not present]. He concludes by predicting American victory over England with the arrival of "the Fleet of Our Allies at Virginia."

Background Information: At this time, John Jay was minister to Spain and was attempting to gain support for the Continental cause in the face of court politics. Gerry's prediction was correct as ...Cornwallis surrendered to the French and American armies at Yorktown on 19 October 1781. See More

People: Jay, John, 1745-1829
Gerry, Elbridge, 1744-1814

Historical Era: American Revolution, 1763-1783

Subjects: Revolutionary WarAmerican StatesmenState ConstitutionGovernment and CivicsFranceNavyGlobal History and CivicsForeign Affairs

Sub Era: The War for Independence

Order a Copy Citation Guidelines for Online Resources

Copyright Notice: The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.