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Topic

Human Aspect

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    Manuscripts (78)

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    Jimmy Carter Condolence Letter To Widow Of Marine Killed In Failed 1980 Iranian Hostage Rescue

    Typed Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1470

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    Abraham Lincoln's Prayer To

    Autograph Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 2509

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    President-Elect Harding Refers to His Upcoming Term as

    Typed Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1550

    President-Elect Harding refers to his upcoming presidential term as "imprisonment in the White House," while expressing envy that his correspondent is going to Honolulu. Harding also informs him that the upcoming inauguration will be a very pared-down affair.
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    Young John F. Kennedy Condemns Harry Truman's Reversal to Support the Partition of Palestine

    Autograph Manuscript

    2 pages

    SMC 149

    At a dinner of Jewish veterans, John F. Kennedy, then a congressman from Massachusetts, condemns Harry Truman's withdrawal of support for the partition of Palestine as "one of the most unfortunate reversals in American policy. Kennedy also called for the US to lift the arms embargo in order to give Israel a chance to protect herself in the ensuing war.
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    Truman on the Recognition of the Jewish State and the

    Typed Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 370

    Two days into the Israeli War of Independence, Harry Truman thanks a rabbi for his offer to assist the President, and refers to the fledgling state's situation as "very dark."
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    Rare Letter to Bereaved: President Nixon's Response to the Kent State Shooting

    Autograph Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1464

    Nixon sends a letter of condolence to the parents of William Schroeder, who was killed at the Kent State anti-war demonstration in May of 1970.
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    Theodore Roosevelt: “What a Dreadful Creature Wilson is!”

    Typed Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1272

    One of Roosevelt's many jabs at Wilson, whom he labelled a coward for failing to declare war on Germany in 1915 after the sinking of the Lusitania.
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    An Invitation to hear the Israel Declaration of Independence, May 14 1948

    Typed Letter

    1 page

    SMC 219

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    Palestine, Truman Says, is a “Matter of Considerable Disturbance” to be Determined by U.N.

    Typed Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 686

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    Harry Truman Writes General Hap Arnold About FDR's Death, Two and a Half Weeks Before, as

    Typed Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 694

    Two weeks after Franklin Delano Roosevelt's death, Harry Truman is still reeling from the shock and his new role with all its responsibilities.
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    Two Days After Unleashing a Tempest by Firing MacArthur, President Truman Writes to a Journalist

    Autograph Note Signed

    1 page

    SMC 699

    President Truman writes to Merriman Smith, perhaps in response to something Smith had said to the President, a prediction, seemingly, about the great news of the day – Truman’s firing of MacArthur two days before – that inspired this note, with which Truman apparently forwarded “an interesting piece” he had run across in his hometown paper.
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    President William McKinley Writes to the Widow of His Vice President and Dear Friend, Mrs. Hobart

    Typed Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 915

    In this letter, written four months after the death of his vice-president and dear friend, Garret Hobart, President McKinley thanks Mrs. Tuttle-Hobart for the gift of fruit, and for the wonderful time spent together with her and her son.
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    President James Madison Tracks Down His Shipment, Seized in the Embargo, of 114 Gallons of Brandy

    Autograph Letter Signed

    2 pages

    SMC 932

    Here President Madison writes to the Collector of the Port of New York, David Gelston, that a pipe of brandy (114 gallons) was sent him to him but "carried into England," resulting in the condemnation of the offending vessel. The brandy, being "neutral cargo," was saved. Now Madison asks that the brandy be sent to him in Washington.
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    President James Monroe on Purchase of Florida and John Adams's Recommendation of Dr. Benjamin Waterhouse

    Autograph Letter Signed

    2 pages

    SMC 934

    President Monroe writes to his Secretary of War, James Calhoun about the Purchase of Florida, and about John Adams's recommendation of Dr. Benjamin Waterhouse as medical superintendent of military facilities in New England.
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    Franklin Pierce on the Kansas-Nebraska Bill and the Prelude to Civil War

    Autograph Letter Signed

    4 pages

    SMC 961

    President Pierce fears that if the Kansas-Nebraska Bill-which granted the States the right to decide on slavery-would not pass, Civil War would ensue.
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    President Franklin Pierce Warmly Endorses the Kansas-Nebraska Act as

    Autograph Letter Signed

    4 pages

    SMC 966

    Pierce endorses the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed citizens of those states to decide if they wanted to retain slaves or not. This decision reversed the Missouri compromise of 1820 and sharply divided the nation.
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    James Buchanan, Ill With Dysentry Before His Inauguration, Declines Jefferson Davis's Invitation to Dine

    Autograph Letter Signed

    2 pages

    SMC 988

    James Buchanan, suffering from dysentery, regrets to decline Jefferson Davis's invitation to dinner.
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    The Eyewitness Account of Abraham Lincoln's Assassination by the Physician Who Treated Him at the Scene

    Autograph Letter Signed

    8 pages

    SMC 1004

    Charles Leale, a surgeon and first responder to Lincoln's shooting, gives a detailed summary of the night of the assassination to a friend.
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    1858 Senate Report Regarding the

    Typed Manuscript

    30 pages

    SMC 1012

    The 1858 Senate report, which details the murder and rape of the Dickson family in their agricultural colony. The author, Jonathan Steinbeck was a descendent of members of the colony, and the "Outrages at Jaffa" is alluded to in his East of Eden. Herman Melville, inspired by the tragic events, wrote his epic poem Clarel.
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    James K. Polk Gives Orders for a Fireproof Celebration for the Battle of Cerro Gordo in Washington

    Autograph Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1052

    Here Polk-mindful of the dangers of unattended candles and oil lamps-gives orders not to illuminate public offices in honor of General Scott’s victory at the Battle of Cerro Gordo.
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    Millard Fillmore On the Fugitive Slave and Kansas-Nebraska Acts:

    Autograph Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1069

    Though he detested slavery, Millard Fillmore signed the Fugitive Slave Act, which required citizens of Northern free states to return slaves to their Southern owners. He was denounced by politicians who four years later voted for the same rule of law to apply in the Kansas-Nebraska act. Here, he wishes to expose their hypocrisy.
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    Having Ascended to the Presidency Just a Week Before, Millard Fillmore Orders a New Black Hat

    Autograph Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1071

    Eight days after President Taylor died and Millard Fillmore went from being vice president to president, the latter, taking his new role seriously, orders a new hat.
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    Abraham Lincoln's Order That Sparked the New York City Draft Riots of 1863

    Document Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1084

    Abraham Lincoln's draft order for the state of New York, which sparked riots and racially-motivated violence and murders. It was the second largest civil insurrection in American history.
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    Abraham Lincoln Reacts to Attempted Jail-Break of Confederate POWs on Johnson Island

    Autograph Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1090

    This note from Lincoln to the Naval Secretary Gideon Welles instructs him to get a firsthand report about the infamous attempted prison break of Confederate POWs on Johnson's Island.
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    Pass to President Abraham Lincoln's Funeral in the East Room of the Executive Mansion

    Ephemera

    1 page

    SMC 1116

    Pass to Lincoln's funeral, on Wednesday, April 19, 1865.
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    Vice President-Elect Chester A. Arthur Accepts Congratulations on Winning His First and Last Election

    Autograph Letter Signed

    3 pages

    SMC 1155

    Chester A. Arthur accepts congratulations on having won his first, and last, election: that of Vice-President of the United States. Arthur would be Vice President for six months before assuming the presidency on the occasion of Garfield's assassination in 1881.
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    Grover Cleveland, First President to Marry in the White House, Handwrites an Invitation to His Wedding

    Autograph Letter Signed

    2 pages

    SMC 1165

    President Grover Cleveland invites his Postmaster to his wedding the following Wednesday, with a hand-written invitation.
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    President Benjamin Harrison: Celebrating the 400th Anniversary of the Discovery of America

    Document Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1173

    President Harrison leads the nation in celebrating the Columbus quadricentennial by authorizing the Seal of the United States to be affixed to a document entitled "The administration of the United States Government at the beginning of the four hundredth anniversary of the discovery of America."
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    A Contemporary Account of the William McKinley Assassination by a 15 Year-Old Girl

    Autograph Letter Signed

    3 pages

    SMC 1183

    Edna M. Hurry, a fifteen-year-old bookkeeper, goes into striking detail in her eyewitness account of President William McKinley's assassination.
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    Secretary of Navy Long: President William McKinley,

    Typed Letter Signed

    2 pages

    SMC 1186

    In this private note to his daughter, in which he discusses, amongst other things, a birthday present for his daughter, Naval Secretary John Long reveals that President William McKinley will absolutely not be seeking a third term.
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    President William McKinley Orders Seal Affixed to His Proclamation on the Death of Vice President Hobart

    Document Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1187

    Death warrant of Vice President Garret Hobart, signed by his dear friend, President William McKinley.
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    Rutherford B. Hayes Discusses, At Length, the Disputed Election of 1876

    Autograph Letter Signed

    4 pages

    SMC 1204

    The election of Rutherford B. Hayes hung, precariously, on disputed returns from four states -- chief among them, Louisiana. Here, long after the fact, Hayes reviews with one of his chief lieutenants, John Sherman, what happened there, and why.
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    Theodore Roosevelt Writes From

    Typed Letter Signed

    2 pages

    SMC 1255

    Before departing Panama, Theodore Roosevelt writes to Dr. Manuel Amador Guerrero who, as the first President of Panama, received Roosevelt when he visited the Canal Zone in November, 1906. Roosevelt and Amador had worked together on creating the Panama Canal, and here Roosevelt thanks Amador for his thoughtful gifts.
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    Days After William McKinley's Death, Theodore Roosevelt Swears to Do His Best

    Typed Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 251

    Roosevelt, who has just become President due to McKinley's assassination looks forward at what must be done, rather than being "morbid."
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    Theodore Roosevelt: Famous

    Autograph Quotation Signed

    1 page

    SMC 252

    Autographed quotation of famous "square deal" with accompanying letter to Richard Lee Fern. The square deal was Roosevelt's call for equal opportunities for every man and woman in the United States. Equality politically, socially, and in "matters industrial."
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    Secretary of War William H. Taft Reports That San Francisco is Almost Destroyed in the Earthquake

    Typed Letter Signed

    3 pages

    SMC 261

    Secretary of War Taft writes this missive primarily about the administration of the Philippines, and expresses concern for Associate Justice to the Supreme Court of the Philippines, James Francis Smith, whom he knew to be in San Francisco during the earthquake. The scale of the damage was as yet unclear, and Taft reports that the city was almost destroyed, and since telegraph wires are down, "we are in the dark."
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    Letter From Gettysburg Battlefield, July 4th, 1863: Union Soldier Hopes

    Autograph Letter Signed

    2 pages

    SMC 299

    Writing to his mother on the fourth of July, Private Strouss tells his her that he is alive, unharmed, and although unsure who has won, he hopes that "this Battle will end the war" so that he may return home.
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    David Ben Gurion Predicts That the Six Day War Will Not Be Israel's Last

    Autograph Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 302

    Ben-Gurion claims that as long as the USA and the USSR fight the Cold War by proxy in the Middle East - by arming Arab countries - there will be no peace in the region, and Israel will have to continuously fight for its survival.
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    President Harry Truman Defends Atomic Bombing of Japan as

    Typed Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 367

    Harry Truman defends his use of the atomic bomb, reasoning that the only language the Japanese understand is that of extreme force.
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    President Andrew Jackson's Big Cheese Tasting

    Autograph Letter Signed

    3 pages

    SMC 399

    President Andrew Jackson invites a friend to the most famous cheese tasting in American history. On Washington's birthday, March 3, 1837, the President opened the White House for the American public to consume a cheese wheel, four feet in diameter, and weighing 1400 lbs. It took citizens of all walks of life approximately two hours to consume the block of cheddar.
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    Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address Transcript & With Malice Toward None Quote in Autograph

    Autograph Quotation Signed

    1 page

    SMC 401

    Lincoln writes and autographs the famous "with malice towards none" paragraph from his second inaugural address.
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    Harry Truman Looks at the Potsdam Conference 12 Years Later: An Astonishing Appraisal of What Went Wrong

    Autograph Letter Signed

    8 pages

    SMC 429

    Knowing that his papers would be released for reporters to examine his version of the Potsdam Conference twelve years prior, Harry Truman paints a revisionist history of what happened and what went wrong.
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    George Washington Dreads Assuming the Presidency: He Feels as if He's Being Led to His Execution

    Autograph Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 433

    Draft of George Washington's letter to Major General Henry Knox, in which, thirty days before his inauguration, Washington compares assuming the presidency to being lead to his execution. He insists he doesn't have the political skill, ability, or even the inclination to lead. He fears, terribly, that he risks his good name in assuming the presidency.
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    Theodore Roosevelt Inscribes Photo of His 1905 Inaugural Address With His Keystone

    Signed Photograph

    1 page

    SMC 466

    Theodore Roosevelt famously argued for each man not to be treated in accordance with his wealth but for his value as a person--otherwise known as a "square deal." Roosevelt emphasized this in his 1905 inaugural address, of which this is a photo with his inscription of the square deal.
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    Contemporary Copy of Chase's Letter to Abraham Lincoln in Support of General Hunter's Emancipation Order

    Letter Signed

    2 pages

    SMC 501

    Salomon P. Chase, President Lincoln's Secretary of the Treasury, was the most ardent abolitionist in Lincoln's cabinet. Here, he praises General Hunter's declaration of emancipation of all slaves in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
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    Harry Truman Letter Written as Vice-President But Signed as President with

    Typed Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 585

    A letter from Harry Truman written as Vice President, then amended by hand as President, mentioning the "terrible responsibilities" that are now his. Truman had started this letter in the morning, as vice president, but by the evening, had ascended the presidency, following President Franklin D. Roosevelt's death that day.
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    Alfred Dreyfus Reviews Case Against Him, Proclaims His Innocence, and Demands Another Trial

    Autograph Letter Signed

    2 pages

    SMC 617

    Alfred Dreyfus respectfully demands a retrial for his trumped-up treason charge from the French prime minister, and vows to prove his innocence till his dying day.
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    Harry Truman Tells How He Learned He Became the President: FDR's Death, He Says, Was a Complete Surprise

    Typed Letter Signed

    2 pages

    SMC 684

    In this letter to Louis Reed (an administrative assistant to a West Virginia senator), Harry Truman reassures him that at the time they met, Truman had no idea that Roosevelt had died, and that he'd be ascending the presidency. It was as much of a surprise to Truman as to anyone else.
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    A Historic Memo: Harry Truman Salutes Dean Acheson's Crucial Role in Going to War With Korea

    Autograph Note Signed

    2 pages

    SMC 685

    President Harry Truman commends Dean Acheson as Secretary of State for superbly handling events leading up to the Korean War.
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    Theodore Roosevelt on the sinking of the Lusitania

    Typed Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1278

    Theodore Roosevelt resented Woodrow Wilson's weak position on German naval aggression. Here, he unequivocally states that had Wilson shown some strong leadership and stood up to Germany, over 1000 civilians would not have lost their lives at sea.
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    Woodrow Wilson Lobbies for Ratification of the Treaty of Versailles - A Matter of Gravest Consequence

    Typed Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1313

    This letter is an example of Woodrow Wilson's attempt to court Republican senators to ratify the Treaty of Versailles, of which he was one of the chief negotiators; Congress refused to ratify it.
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    President Franklin D. Roosevelt Fires His Isolationist Secretary of War During WWII

    Autograph Letter Signed

    3 pages

    SMC 1373

    After forgiving his old and dear friend many missteps, Franklin Roosevelt finally fires Harry Woodring as Secretary of War.
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    Truman, About to Implement the Truman Doctrine in Greece, Calls Greek-American Politicians

    Typed Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1401

    President Truman, who was about to deploy the Truman Doctrine in Greece in order to fight the first proxy Cold War against a communist takeover of that country, expresses reservations about appointing a Greek-American to oversee the distribution of funds to anti-communist factions in Greece.
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    The Beginning of the Peace Corps: President Kennedy Welcomes the First Volunteers

    Typed Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1447

    President John F. Kennedy founded the Peace Corps in 1961. This letter from him wishes the Peace Corps volunteer good luck on the upcoming entrance exams.
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    John F. Kennedy's

    Typed Manuscript

    20 pages

    SMC 1449

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    Lyndon B. Johnson Writes to the Parents of Astronaut Gus Grissom, Killed in the Apollo I Fire

    Typed Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1459

    President Johnson loved the Space Program; loved the astronauts; loved awarding Gus Grissom NASA's Distinguished Service Medal, for being the first American to fly into space twice. Burying Grissom, and his comrades, was a bitter responsibility – which he followed, still, with personal letters of condolence.
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    Six Months After His Resignation, a Rare Richard Nixon Comment on Watergate: He Took One for the Team

    Typed Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1463

    Nixon implies that his resignation of the presidency was done in part to ensure the political survival of associates and supporters.
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    Lyndon B. Johnson on the Death of an Astronaut in the Apollo I Fire

    Typed Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 131

    President Lyndon B. Johnson's letter of condolence to the parents of Roger B. Chaffee, an astronaut who died in the Apollo I fire.
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    A Ronald Reagan Photo in Front of the Berlin Wall, Inscribed With

    Signed Photograph

    1 page

    SMC 1471

    Autograph quote from Ronald Reagan on a photo of him in front of the Berlin Wall near the Brandenburg gate. The famous "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
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    Reagan Stirringly Defends His Decision Not to Stop a Cop-Killer's Execution

    Autograph Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1475

    Governor Reagan responds to a man who sharply condemns his unwillingness to prevent the execution of a man convicted for killing a policeman. Despite the combative nature of the man's letter (also transcribed here), Reagan willingly engages the man in discussing the function and protocol of the judicial system in the context of capital punishment.
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    Newly Sworn-in Theodore Roosevelt Reacts with Foreboding: a Heavy and Painful Task Has Fallen Upon Him

    Typed Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1541

    Grief-stricken over the death of President William McKinley just hours before, newly sworn-in Theodore Roosevelt describes the task before him as both "heavy" and "painful."
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    Both Parties Deprecated War: Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address Quote, In Autograph

    Autograph Quotation Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1551

    Lincoln writes and autographs the famous "both sides deprecated war" passage from his second inaugural address.
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    Mark Twain Says He Cannot Deliver a

    Autograph Letter Signed

    4 pages

    SMC 1693

    Mark Twain explains he cannot deliver a "light & nonsensical speech" while fatally wounded President Garfield is dying. Signed as Samuel Clemens.
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    David Rice Atchison Denies Ever “For a Moment” Acting as President of the United States

    Autograph Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1738

    This letter, written by David Rice Atchison, debunks the long-held erroneous idea that he acted as President of the United States for the 31 hours between the end of Polk's term and the beginning of Taylor's.
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    President Franklin Pierce Appoints the First United States Consul to Serve in Jerusalem

    Document Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1741

    President Franklin Pierce appoints Boston physician John Warren Gorham as the first United States Consul at Jerusalem on October 20, 1856.
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    First Lady Edith Roosevelt, Two Weeks After McKinley's Death:

    Autograph Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1778

    Two weeks after President McKinley's death and Theodore Roosevelt's assumption of the presidency, First Lady Edith Roosevelt thanks a friend in Boston for her warm wishes, and confides in her that "Life does not seem very simple just now."
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    Leon Czolgosz's Incredibly Rare Confession to the Assassination of President William McKinley

    Document Signed

    2 pages

    SMC 1813

    Czolgosz's twice-signed confession to assassinating President McKinley, stemming from anarchist convictions.
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    Camille Pissarro Protests Alfred Dreyfus's Conviction

    Autograph Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1895

    Just five days after Zola published “J’accuse!” in the French newspaper L’Aurore, Pissarro writes to say that he wishes his name added to “the protestation against the awful judgment of the court-martial” to be published, apparently, in that crusading paper.
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    William Henry Harrison's Secretary Announces Harrison's Impending Death

    Autograph Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 1928

    President William Henry Harrison's secretary, Henry Harrison, writes to his father, Benjamin Harrison, to inform him of the impending death of the President.
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    Vice President Theodore Roosevelt, On Hearing that McKinley Has Been Shot, Wires For News

    Autograph Telegram Signed

    2 pages

    SMC 1939

    On the back of a railway timetable, Roosevelt writes the wire instructing the head of the facility in which McKinley was taken after being shot to keep Roosevelt appraised of the president's condition. On the other side of the page, a historian wrote Roosevelt's reaction to the news of McKinley's shooting, as well as his reaction to being told McKinley would survive.
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    Grover Cleveland, Recovering From Secret Cancer Surgery, Reports He is

    Autograph Letter Signed

    6 pages

    SMC 1970

    Recovering from his secret cancer surgery aboard a yacht a few months prior, Grover Cleveland reports to his physician and dear friend that he is having "a couple of drinks of whiskey a day, with very good results; and I smoke a cigar every day too."
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    On His First Day in Office,

    Typed Letter Signed

    1 page

    SMC 2051

    Masking his true feelings about his predecessor, Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower, President John F. Kennedy, a Democrat, and twenty-eight years Eisenhower's junior, thanks him for a smooth transition of power.
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    Signed Photo of Lyndon Johnson Taking the Oath of Office Inscribed to the Photographer

    Signed Photograph

    1 page

    SMC 2076

    The iconic photograph of Lyndon B. Johnson taking the oath of office hours after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated; inscribed to Cecil Stoughton, the photographer.
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    A Last Thing Signed: John F. Kennedy Autographs a Dallas Newspaper on the Morning of His Murder There

    Ephemera

    1 page

    SMC 2168

    An edition of The Dallas Morning News signed by President John F. Kennedy on the morning of his assassination. Kennedy was shot at 12:30, making it very likely that this was the last thing he ever signed.
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    Ephemera

    1 page

    SMC 2356

    Newspaper from the morning after Kennedy's Assassination. Kennedy had signed the same newspaper on the very day of his assassination.
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    Abraham Lincoln's Inaugural Ball , 1861: Invitation Printed By, and Naming as a Ball Manager, Adolphus S. Solomons

    Ephemera

    1 page

    SMC 2367

    Rare invitation to Abraham Lincoln's inaugural ball, prominently featuring the name of the Jewish manager and printer of the invitation, Adolphus S. Solomons, twice.
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    Lincoln Assassination Eyewitness Recalls Running to Fetch Dr. Liebermann Who Attended Lincoln's Deathbed

    Autograph Letter Signed

    8 pages

    SMC 2388

    Samuel Koontz ran to fetch the Russian-born Jewish Dr. Charles Henry Liebermann, who lived a scant two blocks from Ford's Theatre. The news that Liebermann was the first "important" doctor to attend Lincoln - discounting the gaggle of doctors (seven in all) from Ford's theatre - is significant. He was the first to treat him, owing to the distance between his house and the theatre.
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