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.

Hancock, John (1737-1793) Congress's proposed ship's passport

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 #: GLC08115 Author/Creator: Hancock, John (1737-1793) Place Written: s.l. Type: Manuscript document signed Date: circa 1776 Pagination: Order a Copy

Certifying Congress's proposed ship's passport, which became part of the 1778 Treaty of Amity and Commerce with France, the Nation's first treaty with a foreign power in the hand of Charles Thompson

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources