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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.

Adams, John (1735-1826) to Elbridge Gerry re: neutrality, French alliance, and his anti-British feelings

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02292 Author/Creator: Adams, John (1735-1826) Place Written: Amsterdam, Netherlands Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 1781/06/16 Pagination: 1 p. 24 x 19 cm Order a Copy

Written as U.S. Minister to the Netherlands. The first part recommends the bearer, Mr. Le Roy, desirous of commercial connections in America. Adams deprecates the idea of armed neutrality and concludes: "you must not entertain the most distant Idea of Peace while there is one British Soldier alive and at Liberty in America."

Amsterdam June 16. 1781
Dear Sir
Mr Le Roy the Bearer of this, is a young American educated in Amsterdam where he has good Connections. He wants mercantile Connections in America.
I wish he could give you hopes of any usefull Connections between our Country and this. if he can, it is more than I am able to do.
The armed Neutrality turns out little better than a Bubble. But as We have little to hope from it, We have nothing to fear. - France has Settled every Thing this year, better than ever, and much to the Satisfaction of America as I hope and believe. -But you must not entertain the most distant Idea of Peace while there is one British Soldier alive and at Liberty in America. I am my dear Sir your
Frd.
J. Adams
Mr Gerry.

Gerry, Elbridge, 1744-1814
Adams, John, 1735-1826

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