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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.

Williamson, Passmore (b. 1822) Narrative of facts in the case of Passmore Williamson

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC08854 Author/Creator: Williamson, Passmore (b. 1822) Place Written: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Type: Pamphlet Date: 1855 Pagination: 24 p. ; 19.5x12.8 cm. Order a Copy

Relates the story of Passmore Williamson, an abolitionist who was imprisoned for helping a slave named Jane escape her master while in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Because Jane was already in the North, Williamson informed her she was free and enabled her to slip away from her master. He spent three months in jail for his actions, and his case became a highly publicized one. Pamphlet is side-stitched, published by the Philadelphia Anti-Slavery Society in response to debates about the Fugitive Slave Law.

Williamson, Passmore, fl. 1856-1857

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