This archive of twenty-six documents was compiled by Pierce Butler when he served as one of South Carolina’s delegates to the US Constitutional Convention in 1787. It includes the printed first and second drafts of the Constitution; two small notebooks of proceedings; contemporary copies of the Virginia (or Randolph) Plan favoring larger states in Congress, the New Jersey (or Patterson) Plan favoring smaller states, Hamilton’s plan for a bicameral legislature and permanent executive, and Franklin’s compromise—all of which were used by Butler during the debates. These documents provide a
<p>The Gilder Lehrman Collection has more than 10,000 letters written by soldiers during the American Civil War, and when you read dozens or even hundreds of letters by the same person, it is very much like reality television. You become involved in the drama of their lives—the war, relationships, finances, and losses. You are with <a href="https://www.gilderlehrman.org/collections/treasures-from-the-collection/... Tillotson when he learns his four-year-old daughter Lucy died during an epidemic</a> that also threatened his other children. And you can ’t
The Henry Knox Papers in the Gilder Lehrman Collection contain more than 10,000 documents dating from 1750 to 1820. The bulk of the archive chronicles the American Revolution and early founding era. The depth and complexity of the Knox Papers have made it a favorite with the curatorial staff. One particularly interesting document from this archive is the Knox family’s living expenses in New York and when Henry served as secretary of war under the Articles of Confederation. It includes all the budget basics that we have today: rent, taxes, transportation, clothes, heat, school cost, household
A good primary source will give you a sense of immediacy and awe that makes history come alive and leaves you with a deeper understanding of an event. It is one of the key elements we look for when adding materials to the Gilder Lehrman Collection. When we first learned of these photographs taken during the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor and in its immediate aftermath, we knew they would be a good fit in our Collection, and when they arrived, the staff was struck by the power of the images.
We knew the statistics. Over 2,400 Americans were killed and an additional 1,178 were wounded in just
<p>The Gilder Lehrman Collection includes a letter and a painting by Ulysses S. Grant when he was a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. These unique items reveal Grant as the equivalent of a modern-day college student.</p><p>On September 22, 1839, Cadet Grant wrote this letter to his cousin, McKinstrey Griffith, between the first-year summer encampment ended and the beginning of the academic year. In it, the seventeen-year-old reveals his uncensored first impressions of West Point, his sense of humor, and a bit of a mid-western drawl. It is
If you don’t see the full story below, click here (PDF) or click here (Google Docs) to read it—free!
If you don’t see the full story below, click here (PDF) or click here (Google Docs) to read it—free!
If you don’t see the full story below, click here (PDF) or click here (Google Docs) to read it—free!
If you don’t see the full story below, click here (PDF) or click here (Google Docs) to read it—free!
If you don’t see the full story below, click here (PDF) or click here (Google Docs) to read it—free!
If you don’t see the full story below, click here (PDF) or click here (Google Docs) to read it—free!
If you don’t see the full story below, click here (PDF) or click here (Google Docs) to read it—free!
If you don’t see the full story below, click here (PDF) or click here (Google Docs) to read it—free!
Sometimes documents leave us with more questions than answers. That is definitely true for this letter of October 8, 1859, from an unidentified man to his mother—both of whom appear to be slaves!
The author refers twice to having a master:
"There is a young lady here that I am very much taken with and I think that my Master will buy her and take her out with us."
"I went to Mrs. Bailys expecting to meet My old Master as he said he would be there . . ."
We really wanted to try to track this down, so we started by compiling a list of names and places mentioned in the letter:
Widow Baily,
These miniature portraits of Jane and Franklin Pierce, attributed to artist Moses B. Russell, were painted shortly after the couple was married in 1834. Measuring only 4 ¼ inches tall by 3 ½ inches wide, the paintings have gilt-metal frames and are set in a fitted leather case.They were meant to be carried.
Franklin Pierce was elected the 14th president of the United States in 1852. On January 6, 1853, the president-elect, his wife, and their 11-year-old son, Benjamin, were traveling from New Hampshire to Washington DC when their train derailed and toppled down an embankment. Although Mr
Between battles, marches, and military exercises, Civil War soldiers spent their free time in camp playing music, writing and reading letters, and, for those with the skill, sketching scenes from the day. This unknown soldier’s sketchbook from 1863, "A Few Scenes in the life of A ‘SOJER’ in the Mass 44th," recounts the adventures of a soldier named "Gorge," or "George." We do not know if George is a fictional character or loosely autobiographical. The sketchbook follows the movements of the 44th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry in New Bern, North Carolina. The cartoon sketches satirize the
In the fall of 1941 Thomas Barwiss Hagstoz Askin Jr. was on board USS Memphis counting down the days until his enlistment in the United States Navy ended. He recorded his experience in a diary he entitled "Memorys and Incidents of My Last 60 (?) Days in the United States Navy."
Askin had joined the Navy in March 1938, at the age of 17, and was set to be discharged on October 13, 1941, one day before his 21st birthday. Unfortunately, his ship was at sea at the time. His disappointment and dejection when he realized he would not be going home was palpable in his diary entry on October 14, 1941
After his escape from slavery in 1838, Frederick Douglass became a well-known orator and abolitionist. In 1845, he wrote an autobiography that increased his influence, but also increased the chances that he would be captured and returned to slavery. Seeking refuge, Douglass went on a speaking tour of Ireland and England to remove himself from immediate danger. In 1846, Anna and Henry Richardson and other English supporters gathered funds and made arrangements to purchase Douglass’s freedom. On October 6, 1846, Hugh Auld agreed to "take 150 £ sterling for the manumassion [sic] of my slave
When World War I ended, President Woodrow Wilson attended the Paris Peace Conference, where the Allied nations met to write the Treaty of Versailles. In September 1919, President Woodrow Wilson embarked on a speaking tour of US cities to gain support for the treaty and the League of Nations, which Americans were reluctant to join.
Traveling with the President was Dr. Cary Grayson, Wilson’s personal physician and friend. Grayson kept a diary of the trip and included notes on Wilson’s health. On September 26, on a train bound for Wichita, Kansas, Grayson was woken up to attend to Wilson:
Explore in depth Paul Revere’s 1770 print "Brittish Ships of War Landing Their Troops, 1768" and check out Paul Revere’s related propaganda print of the Boston Massacre.
View the full Battle of the Thames document and read an essay on the Battle for Baltimore during the War of 1812.
View Columbus’s letter, read an excerpt, or view a depiction of his landing.
There’s just one month left until the next test date for the SAT Subject Test in US History on November 7, 2015. Sure, this test is no APUSH, but the 95 multiple-choice questions in just 60 minutes require a familiarity with a wide swath of American history. Quick—can you name at least one Transcendentalist? Why should you "remember the Maine"? Which came first, Progressivism or Populism? If some of these answers aren’t coming to you right away, don’t panic. Take a deep dive into our SAT Test Guide's videos, timelines, reference cards, and quizzes. You’ve got a month—start now and you’ll be
On Monday, October 12, many Americans had the day off and stores hosted sales under the name of that 15th-century Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus. But Columbus’s impact on our world reaches past a 3-day weekend and great deals at department stores. The Columbian Exchange refers to the flow of goods between the Americas, Europe, and Africa that followed Columbus’s widely advertised "discovery" of the New World. People, animals, plants, and diseases passed from continent to continent . . . and nothing would ever be the same.
Find out more about the far reaches of the Columbian Exchange
Ever wonder why the name "Fido" has become synonymous with dogs? It all goes back to a very special dog belonging to Abraham Lincoln.
Lincoln always had a fondness for animals, and it has been speculated that he relied on his pets to help get him through periodic bouts of depression. The name Fido came from the Latin word "fidelity" and suited Lincoln’s favorite dog perfectly. A short-haired yellow dog of mixed breed, Fido was a mangy but lovable mutt who followed Lincoln everywhere. He lived with Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois, and was a constant fixture in town—he
