William Henry Harrison Implements the Historic Treaty of Greenville, Which Opened the West to American Settlement
by William Henry Harrison
11/08/1795. A search of public sale records indicates that the last such document came up in 1992In the 1780s Native American leaders in the Northwest Territory developed a pan-Indian alliance similar to that led by Pontiac in the 1760s. This alliance created a military force very much the equal of that available to the United States on the frontier. A series of battles and lesser skirmishes occurred on the western frontier. In these battles the pan-Indian alliance proved itself... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Harvard 1660: Girls in the Dorms, “Lascivious” Conduct, Students Drinking and Carousing
by Harvard
1660. The earliest document relating to Harvard we have had, and the first we’ve seen on the market about young people partying at the collegeThe Massachusetts Bay Colony was first settled in 1630, when a flotilla of ships sailed from England in April bearing 700 Puritans under the leadership of Governor John Winthrop. The colonists began arriving at Salem in June. Thousands more followed from Old England to New. Nathaniel and Anna Bowman were among them, arriving in Watertown... Read More
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Four Language Whaling Passport for the Bark Mary & Susan, Signed by Rutherford B. Hayes as President
by Rutherford B. Hayes
14/08/1877. In the 1840s, around the time Herman Melville was completing Moby Dick, whaling was a booming worldwide business and the United States was the global behemoth. The U.S. whaling industry grew by a factor of fourteen between 1816 and 1850, and New Bedford, Massachusetts, accounted for half of America's whaling output. In 1846, the U.S. owned 640 whaling ships, more than the rest of the world put together and tripled. Demand for New Bedford's haul came from all... Read More
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In December 1876, Rutherford B. Hayes is Waiting Hopefully for the Decision of the Electoral Commission to Determine Whether He is President-elect or Not
by Rutherford B. Hayes
22/12/1876. Only a handful of letters of Hayes relating to this disputed election have ever reached the market “I am keeping myself wholly uncommitted as to persons and policies until after the declaration by the Senate…We are in the best health and spirits. “ Acquired from the descendants of the recipient and never before offered for sale.Rutherford B. Hayes, the Republican governor of Ohio, became the 19th President of the United States after one of the most disputed elections in American... Read More
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Ernest Hemingway, Who Narrowly Survived Two Plane Crashes Just the Year Before, and Who Died by Suicide, Reflects on Death: “Maybe we are only alive when we are dead but I have not believed that for a long time.”
by Ernest Hemingway
6/10/55. “When you are dead you are dead for a long time."" He advises a young woman friend, “Please be careful about aircraft…It is one of the great pleasures of life but you pay off accordingly.” Hemingway will send her an animal skin from his African safari to decorate her new house"" Our trophies ( sic ) were shipped July 18th from Mombassa via Amsterdam to be trans-shipped to NY and then here.""After covering the Spanish Civil War, in 1939 Hemingway purchased... Read More
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The Essential Ernest Hemingway: On the Sea, Fish, Writing Books and Screenplays, Filming His Book “The Old Man and the Sea”, Cuba, and Containing a Certain Proposition
by Ernest Hemingway
29/07/1955. “You need an awful lot of luck when working with the sea and with fish.” A fascinating, unpublished letter obtained by us directly from the recipient’s familyOn HemingwayAfter covering the Spanish Civil War, in 1939 Hemingway purchased Finca Vigía (“Lookout Farm”), an unpretentious estate outside Havana, Cuba. In 1940 he published “For Whom the Bell Tolls”, which many consider his best book. All of his life Hemingway was fascinated by war - in “A Farewell to Arms” he focused... Read More
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John Herschel, Great English Scientist, Accepts Membership in the Royal Dutch Academy, Calling His Research ""my humble claims to scientific distinction""
by John Herschel
13/05/1858. John Herschel was the son of famed astronomer William Herschel and a prominent scientist himself. He originated the use of the Julian day system in astronomy, named seven moons of Saturn and four moons of Uranus, and made many contributions to the science of photography.In 1858, the prestigious Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences awarded him membership for his contributions to science. Thomas Jefferson was a member as well.Autograph letter signed, May 13, 1858, to Mr. Vrolik,... Read More
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President Herbert Hoover Insists on Prompt Ratification of the Naval Treaty of 1930 That Limited Submarine Warfare and Shipbuilding
by Herbert Hoover
26/06/1930. The London Naval Conference of 1930, involving the United States, Britain, Japan, France and Italy, was the third in a series of five meetings, formed with the purpose of placing limits on the naval capacity of the world’s largest naval powers. The purpose of the meetings was to promote disarmament in the wake of the devastation of the First World War; they began with the Washington Conference of 1921–22 and concluded with the London Conference of 1935. After... Read More
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Herbert Hoover's Speech, Recollecting Life, Career, and Country, Signed
by Herbert Hoover
10/8/48. Herbert Hoover was born on August 10, 1874, in West Branch, Iowa. He was the first president born west of the Mississippi River and remains the only Iowan President. His father was a blacksmith in the town and a farm tool store owner.In 1948, the town invited him back to give his ""homecoming"" speech on his 74th birthday. The speech was filled with his recollections of his childhood in rural Iowa, and was also a retrospective on his... Read More
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Hoover Thanks the Red Cross For Giving Medical Assistance
by Herbert Hoover
3/2/23. After World War I ended in late 1918, Herbert Hoover became head of the American Relief Administration, which organized shipments of food for millions of starving people in Europe. He did such a fine job in that capacity, saving millions of lives, that it made his reputation and led to his political career. In 1921, President Harding named him Secretary of Commerce. From there he would go on to the presidency. As for the American Relief Administration, it... Read More
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Herbert Hoover: Stand For the Right in the Great Issues Before Us
by Herbert Hoover
22/06/1920. When World War I began, Hoover was a consulting engineer in the mining industry, yet six years later his name was already being included in lists of potential presidential nominees. This letter gives us an insight into why. In 1914 he was asked to organize and direct an American Relief Committee to aid U.S. citizens stranded in Europe. This was followed by his appointment as head of the Commission for Relief in Belgium, where his fine work in... Read More
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Ornate Document Signed by Sam Houston During His Brief Time as Governor of Tennessee
by Sam Houston
11/08/1828. Houston is the only individual to be elected governor by popular vote of two different statesSam Houston served under General Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812. Afterwards, he was appointed as a sub-agent to oversee the removal of the Cherokee from Tennessee into Arkansas Territory in 1818. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee and studied law. He passed the bar and opened up a legal practice in Lebanon, Tennessee. With the support of Jackson, Houston won election to... Read More
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Victor Hugo, Champion of the Needy, Wants Profits from His Great French Epic Donated to the Poor
by Victor Hugo
15/12/1868. From 1830 into the 1860's, there were a series of massive political upheavals in Europe. Most were caused by the desire of the peoples of many nations to oust their royal elites and attain a fairer and more representative government. At the core of this was a struggle between the haves and have-nots. The elites fought back hard and there was fighting in the streets. There was a revolt in France in 1830, one in which Victor Hugo... Read More
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Pope John Paul II Issues a Declaration in the Wake of the First Ever Papal Visit to Cuba, in Which He Met With Fidel Castro, Announcing the Expansion of the Church There
by Pope Saint John Paul II
5/12/98. The Bull also announces the establishment of a new archdiocese in Cuba, to be headed by an archbishop This is our first ever declaration of Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II made a historic, first-ever papal visit to Cuba from January 21–25, 1998, delivering a message of hope, freedom and social justice while also criticizing the communist system and capitalist forces. During the visit, the Pope met with Cuban leader Fidel Castro, in a highly publicized event that... Read More
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The Chronicle of Swinging London in the Sixties: A Remarkable Collection of Autographs, Defining an Era
by Queen Elizabeth II
1967. A unique visitors book kept by a prominent boutique, filled with the iconic names of the era, from Mick Jagger to Queen Elizabeth II to Donovan to Twiggy With thousands of signatures, the most complete such collection we have seenSwinging London: Its very name conjures up images of style, culture, excitement and romance. Presided over by a young Queen Elizabeth, London transformed itself from a bleak, conservative, colorless city, only just beginning to forget the troubles of the Second... Read More
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An American Treasure: Washington Irving's Original Manuscript, Not Only His Final Piece of the Life of Washington But His Last Published Piece, Summing Up His Pride in Washington, His Goals in the Work, and His Career
by Washington Irving
1859. This was published in the work as the Preface to the final book; Written after the completion of the book and included and sent along with the final, the concluding touches on a shining literary career The statement of principle, written for publication in virtual letter form, for a work of great importance in American literature and biography Irving: The Work is “the crowning effort of my literary career.” Washington Irving, Literary Giant and First American Professional Author & Biographerhttps://vimeo.com/1021899779?share=copy For Washington... Read More
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A Great American Literary Manuscript: the Complete Conclusion, Signed and Dated, of Book 4 of Washington Irving's The Life of Washington
by Washington Irving
1857. He states his goal and strategy in writing this great work, this being the conclusion as sent to the printer Other manuscripts of Washington Irving are unsigned and fragmentary and situated in the middle of other sections, making this unique in our experience. It is signed, complete as a section, and a great summation of Irving's work and intent. Washington Irving, Literary Giant and First American Professional Author & Biographer[video width=""1920"" height=""1080"" mp4=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204112756/Untitled-5.mp4"" poster=""https://cdn.raabcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/20231204112751/Screen-Shot-2023-09-28-at-1.30.13-PM.jpg""][/video] For Washington Irving, telling the story of... Read More
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The Rare Great Seal of Ferdinand and Isabella, On an Illuminated, Unique Document of Flemish and Spanish Art, Establishing a Commercial Center as a Reward to the Family of King John II's Bodyguard
by Ferdinand & Isabella
12/09/1497. We found no record for a great seal of the Catholic Monarchs having reached the market, nor any record of a document from the Court of the Great Monarchs of this ornate, illuminated nature from this early having come up for sale The large lead seal, attached with multicolored thread, shows Ferdinand on horseback; Isabella on the throne In 711, Muslim Moors crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and began their conquest of Southern Spain. So began Islamic rule in Spain... Read More
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Queen Isabella, In a Document Referencing Her Deceased Son and Only Male Heir to the Spanish Throne (""may he rest in holy glory"") Works to Build the Great Hospital of the Alhambra of Granada
by Ferdinand & Isabella
17/09/1500. Isabella was distraught over the loss of the only heir the two produced, a fact which had huge implications for the Iberian Peninsula; We have never before seen such a referenceWhen Isabella’s half-brother Henry died in 1474, she asserted her claim to the throne of Castille, which was contested by thirteen-year-old Joanna, who was connected to Portuguese royalty. Juana sought the aid of her husband (who was also her uncle), Afonso V of Portugal, to claim the throne.... Read More
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President Andrew Jackson Instructs His Secretary of the Treasury to Select Someone to Serve as Collector of the Port of New London
by Andrew Jackson
26/09/1829. Alexander Hamilton’s plan to fund the federal government relied for revenue on the collection of customs duties at major ports around the country. The position of Collector - supervisor of incoming revenues - at each port was thus of major importance, and notable men generally received the appointments in the early years of the republic. General Jedidiah Huntington, for example, was named Collector of the Port of New London in Connecticut. And as the posts were powerful and... Read More
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President Andrew Jackson Appoints a Hero of the Battle of New Orleans a Captain in the Navy
by Andrew Jackson
11/03/1829. Jones, as famed Captain and Commodore, also concluded a treaty with the king of Hawaii, and defended San Francisco during the Gold RushThomas ap Catesby Jones was one of the most controversial officers in the U.S. Navy during the first half of the nineteenth century. He served from 1805 until 1858. A fascinating representative of a period of tumultuous change for both the Navy and the country, he was a firebrand with a desire for reform and willingness... Read More
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Andrew Jackson Will See Justice Done
by Andrew Jackson
20/04/1838. Newly retired, he had sent his cotton from the Hermitage to be sold in New Orleans and had borrowed thousands of dollars against their prospective saleAlthough cotton was the sole cash crop of The Hermitage, cotton plants covered only 200 of the more than 1000 acres of the plantation. Production of any other crop was difficult due to the intense amount of labor needed to raise cotton. The perpetual process of planting, weeding then picking required by “king... Read More
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Andrew Jackson, Running for President in 1824, Incurs a Debt for Supplies Used at the Hermitage
by Andrew Jackson
06/09/1824. Andrew Jackson bought commodities for the Hermitage from his neighbor Francis Saunders. Among these were wheat and salt. Saunders was also a court commissioner in Tennessee, so Jackson dealt with him on various legal matters as well.Autograph document signed, Tennessee, September 6, 1824, being a promissory note evidencing a debt Jackson owed Saunders. “On the second day of November next, I promise to pay to Francis Saunders or order, payable and negotiable at the Branch Bank of the... Read More
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President Andrew Jackson, Thought of As Foe of the Rich and Powerful, Intervenes to Assist a “Capitalist” of “Extensive Means”
by Andrew Jackson
12/02/1836. The man was a Wall Street banker who became president of the North American Trust and Banking Company.Started by Joseph D. Beers after he came to New York in 1815, J.D. Beers &_Co. was a Wall Street banking and brokerage firm with offices on Wall Street. Beers formally retired from the firm in 1835, but stayed active until his death twenty-eight years later, principally concerning himself with land speculation and stock investments. Shortly after his retirement, Beers planned a... Read More
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Andrew Jackson Defines Success and Its Attainment: “By industry and attention to business you will rise over all obstacles that may appear in your way to wealth and honor.”
by Andrew Jackson
04/01/1821. “Missouri will, I expect sequester the property of the U.S. and hold it for their own use, until it is invited into the Union by Congress, this is the only course she can adopt as an independent State, unless she returns to her Territorial government again; this would be a course too humble for a free people to submit to.""The Missouri Compromise of 1820 enabled Missouri to join the Union as a slave state and Maine as a... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC