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.

Seward, William Henry (1801-1872) re: admission of West Virginia as a state

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.

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

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC07681 Author/Creator: Seward, William Henry (1801-1872) Place Written: Washington, D.C. Type: Manuscript document signed Date: 1862/12/23 Pagination: 1 p. + docket 25.1 x 20.4 cm Order a Copy

Letter from Lincoln to Cabinet members calling for written opinions re: admission of West Virginia as a state. Includes autograph of Seward and secretarial signature of Lincoln.

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources