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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.

Capp Street Foundation "On May 21st Dan White Got Away With Murder."

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09871.09 Author/Creator: Capp Street Foundation Place Written: San Francisco, California Type: Booklet Date: 1979 Pagination: 4 p. ; 21.6 x 16.5 cm. Order a Copy

One booklet dated approximately 1979 following Dan White's sentencing for voluntary manslaughter against Harvey Milk and George Moscone. Cover image is of a police car enflamed detailing the events of the "White Night" riots. The purpose of this document was to raise money to pay the bail of people arrested the night of the riots and to raise awareness of Dan White's sentence. "These ultra-right, racist, and homophobic politics translate into a grossly unequal law enforcement pattern as shown by the continued oppression of the poorer districts of San Francisco."

Harvey Milk (1930-1978) born in Woodmere, New York was the first openly gay American politician to be elected to an official position in California's history. He had moved to San Francisco in 1972. While in office, Milk was able to pass a bill that banned discrimination in housing and employment based on someone's sexual orientation. In November 27, 1978, he and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated by Dan White, a former city employee who had wanted his job back after a failed venture in the private sector.

Dan White, a former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, was sentenced with manslaughter on May 21, 1979 rather than first-degree murder of George Moscone and Harvey Milk. The San Francisco gay community was outraged at this decision

Milk, Harvey, 1930-1978
Moscone, George, 1929-1978
White, Dan, 1946-1985

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