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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.

Unknown [Surrender of the Patent of Plymouth Colony to the Freemen].

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02924.001 Author/Creator: Unknown Place Written: Massachusetts Type: Manuscript document Date: 2 March 1640 Pagination: 2 p. Order a Copy

Outlines the surrender of the Warwick Patent of 1630 to the "Publick Court" by Governor of Plymouth Bradford and the "Old Comers" (original settlers). This resulted from pressure to relinquish the patent to the whole body of freemen. Bradford and the Old Comers reserved three tracts of land, the borders of which are described. A memorandum at the bottom of the document notes that Bradford complied with the order to surrender the patent. This document is a copy.

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