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.

Tappan, Lewis (1788-1873) [Circular letter urging opposition to the expansion of slavery]

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 #: GLC08998 Author/Creator: Tappan, Lewis (1788-1873) Place Written: New York, New York Type: Printed document Date: February 1850 Pagination: 1 p. ; 34 x 21 cm. Order a Copy

Circular letter from the American and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society urging opposition to the expansion of slavery. Addressed "To each Friend of Liberty in the United States." Urges readers to write to Congress in opposition to slavery, and demand slavery be barred from any new territiories. Encloses pettitions for the reader and acquantainces to sign. Signed in print by the "Executive Committee of the American and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society," composed of Arthur Tappan, S.S. Jocelyn, William Jay, Lewis Tappan, William E. Whiting, Luther Lee, Christopher Rush, George Whipple, William Lillie, J. Warner, Charles B. Ray, Thomas Ritter, and Alexander Macdonald

...The Slave power is now making a desperate and final effort to prevent the admission of California with the prohibition of Slavery, and any such prohibition by Congress in respect to New-Mexico, and thus to secure its permanent ascendancy on the North American continent. Its success will be triumph of evil, involving the subjection of North American interests to the aristocracy of the South, and a mighty empire to the various curses attendant upon human bondage. To attain success, resort is had to threats of dissolution- threats evidently intended for intimidation, since if carried into execution they would result in the ruin of the masters and the liberation of the slaves...

Tappan, Lewis, 1788-1873
Tappan, Arthur, 1786-1865
Whiting, William, 1813-1873
Whipple, George, 1805-1876

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources