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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC02946 |
| From Archive Folder | Documents Relating to 1838 |
| Title | William Henry Harrison to John Brown Dillon regarding slavery |
| Date | 12 December 1838 |
| Author | Harrison, William Henry (1773-1841) |
| Recipient | Dillon, John Brown |
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Content Description | Harrison offers his opinion to Dillon, who is publishing a pamphlet on the subject of slavery: "our Union is a Union of Sovereign Independent States &... in every particular where power is not expressly surrendered by that instrument to the General Government it is retained by the States..." Argues that its omission from the Constitution leaves the slavery question up to individual states, not to the federal government. Emphasizes he is writing as a friend, not for publication. Includes a note written in pencil at the top of page one, pertaining to the purchase of this letter and signed by W. H. H. Terrell. |
| Subjects | African American History State Constitution States' Rights Slavery President Government and Civics US Constitution |
| People | Harrison, William Henry (1773-1841) Dillon, John Brown (ca. 1807-1879) |
| Place written | North Bend, Ohio |
| Theme | African Americans; Slavery & Abolition; Government & Politics |
| Sub-collection | The Gilder Lehrman Collection, 1493-1859 |
| Additional Information | Harrison served as President in 1841, dying of illness only one month into his term. Dillon was a civil servant, historian, and newspaper editor in Logansport, Indiana; Indiana State Librarian (1845-1851); and secretary of the Indiana Historical Society (1859-1879). |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform: 1493-1859 |