President
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William Henry Harrison Four-Language Sea Letter Signed as President
An incredible rarity. Fewer than 40 of Harrison’s presidential signatures are known to exist in any format, from complete to partial letters and documents, down to clipped signatures that retain some proof of the date. Of those, only a dozen or so complete documents signed as president are known in private hands. Succumbing to pneumonia…
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Thomas Jefferson’s Premature Hope for Reconciliation with John Adams, Sparked by the Death of Jefferson’s Daughter
A remarkable, poignant letter from Jefferson’s presidency, prematurely anticipating reconciliation with his predecessor and longtime compatriot, though he still holds one grudge. “He & myself have gone through so many scenes together…that I have never withdrawn my esteem, and I am happy that this letter gives an opportunity of expressing it to both of them.…
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President John Adams Reflects on Presidential Leadership
A wistful letter to a Harvard friend in which Adams mentions some guileful political colleagues and laments the “popular Passions of the times” and the general neglect of his political writings. “The Difficulty of leading or guiding Millions, by any means but Power and Establishments can be known only to those who have tried Experiments…