BENJAMIN FRANKLIN and JAMES TRIMBLE As President of Pennsylvania (1786), the Founding Father of the United States signed this pay warrant for the Council door keeper Manuscript DS: "B Franklin Presdt." as President of Pennsylvania and "James Trimble", 1 page, 7½x4¾. Pay Warrant for Frederick Sneider "For his attendance as Door keeper to Council from the first until the twenty eighth day of February 1786 - 28 days - at 10pr - £ 14..0..0" All in the hand of Trimble who has signed next to the word "Examined". Autograph Docket signed: "J. Trimble" on verso. In full: "Frederick Sneiders/accounts/Read in Council/Febry 28th 1786/approved and an order/drawn". During the American Revolution, FREDERICK SNEIDER was in the Sixth Company of the 2nd Battalion Pennsylvania Militia. When Timothy Matlack (engrosser of the Declaration of Independence) became Secretary of the Commonwealth on March 6, 1777, JAMES TRIMBLE was appointed Deputy Secretary, or Assistant Secretary of the Supreme Executive Council. Alexander J. read more...

FRANCIS SCOTT KEY The author of the "Star-Spangled Banner" signed this framed document 14 times in its text! Autograph Document Multi-Signed: "Francis/ Scott Key", "Francis S. Key", "F S Key" (ten times!) and "Key" (twice), all in text, 4p, 7½x12. District of Columbia. Dated January 19, 1824. Indenture between "John W. Baker of George Town District of Columbia…and Francis Scott Key of the same place." In part: "Witnesseth that whereas Walter Smith hath this day by the order and sanction of the said F S Key conveyed to the said John W. Baker by deed bearing the same date with these presents, a certain piece or portion of land lying in Washington County in the said District…and whereas the said John W. Baker stands indebted to the said F S Key in the full and just sum of three thousand five hundred dollars, a part of the purchase money for said land read more...

JOHN ENDECOTT This exceedingly rare document is from the very earliest history of the American colonies and Massachusetts! It's a five-line complaint signed by John Endecott, colonial governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, in Marblehead, Massachusetts in1649. Documents from this early in American history are rarely seen outside of private collections and are highly desirable! Framed to 10x6½ in a gold-colored frame with cream-colored matte. Document signed "Jo: Endecott Gov.". Brown ink and lead pencil notations in top left corner and at left edge. 1 page, 5½x1¼. Framed to 10x6½ in a gold-colored frame with cream-colored matte. Marblehead, Massachusetts, April 24, 1649. Five-line complaint. Endecott (c. 1588-1665), also spelled "Endicott", was a colonial governor (1629-1630, 1644-1645, 1649-1650, 1651-1654 and 1655-1664) and deputy governor (1641-1644, 1650-1651 and 1654-1655) of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the New World. Endecott arrived with 60 other settlers in the Naumkeag, future site of Salem, Massachusetts and already settled by seceders from the Plymouth colony, led by Roger Conant. read more...

JOHN HANCOCK His handwritten March 1783 letter as Governor of Massachusetts, instructing a garrison commander to forbid a ship full of Tories to disembark, requiring them to sail instead for New York (still in British hands) Autograph Letter, unsigned, 1 page, 7¾x12. Written as Governor. Boston, Massachusetts, 1783 March 27. To William Gordon, Commander of the Garrison in Dartmouth. In full: "I have this moment received your Letter by Express, giving information of the arrival of a Flag with a Number of Persons on board who were desirous of remaining some time at Dartmouth. I have laid the state of this Flag before the Council, & in consequence of their advice you are hereby Directed upon no pretense whatever, to suffer any of the Persons or any of the Effects brought in the Flag to be Landed at Dartmouth, or in any other place, but that you give immediate Directions for the Departure of the Flag with the Persons, & their effects to New York, and that after the Receipt of this Letter you make a point of Embracing the first fair wind to put her under Sail for New York, as no circumstance can possibly induce me to Deviate from this order. I am Sir your very humble servant. read more...

THE GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS URGES THE PRESIDENT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE TO TAKE THE SAME STEPS AS MASSACHUSETTS HAD TAKEN IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THE FISHING INDUSTRY ON THE MERRIMACK RIVER   JOHN HANCOCK. Autograph Letter, unsigned, 1p, 6¾x9. Boston, 1783 October 31. To "His Excellency Meshech Weare Esqr. President of the State of New Hampshire". Begins: "Sir". In full: "In compliance with the Request of the Two Branches of the General Court I inclose you Two Acts of this Government making provision to prevent the Destruction of Fish by Mill-Dams in Merrimack River & c - As the Design'd [illegible] of this Bill will much Depend upon the measures that shall be Adopted by the Legislature of your State, I am to Request that your Excellency will be pleas'd to lay those Acts before them, and cannot but flatter myself that they will Take such effectual Steps as will ensure the good Effects for which our Govt. Court had in View in passing the Bill - I am with Sentiments of [portion of word crossed out] Esteem, Sir, Your Excellency's Most Obedt & Humbl Servt." Hancock's retained copy of his letter to Weare. Docketed in unknown hand on verso. read more...

JOHN HANCOCK Hancock handwrote, dated and put his John Hancock on this letter to the "Gentlemen of the Senate & Gentlemen of the House of Representatives" in 1783, while he was Governor of Massachusetts. He wrote this letter to inform the recipients that he had received an "Application for Sundry Articles for the use of the Tribe" from the Penobscot, which offered their services to the colonies during the American Revolutionary War. This letter was written less than eight months before the signing of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the war between the colonies and England. Draft autograph letter signed "J.H." as Governor of Massachusetts. 1 page, 7¾x6¼. Council Chamber, Boston, Massachusetts, Feb. 7, 1783. Addressed to the "Gentlemen of the Senate & Gentlemen of the House of Representatives". In full: "I have this moment Rec'd a Letter from Colonel Lithgow, by Two Indians of the Penobscot Tribe, these Indians are come to make Application for Sundry Articles for the use of the Tribe. The Letter with the Commissions given one of these Indians by Brigr. Genl. Lovell, I have directed the Secretary [to] lay before you. read more...

BRIGHAM YOUNG Young and his wife Mary Ann Young sign a document agreeing to sell land in Salt Lake City (1873). Partly Printed Document signed: "Brigham Young" [added in another hand: "Sen"], 4 pages, 8½x14. Salt Lake City, Utah, 1873 July 29. Also signed "Mary A Young"; witnessed "R.R. Anderson" and "Jas. A. Young". An indenture in which Young agrees to sell a 6,600 square foot tract of land in Salt Lake City to David McKenzie for $20,000. Signed on front. Notary's seal on inside cover. BRIGHAM YOUNG (1801-1877) succeeded the murdered Joseph Smith as head of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1844. He guided the mass migration of the LDS faithful ("Mormons") to the Great Salt Lake Valley in Utah and served as the first Governor of the Territory of Utah (1849-1857). "Sen" distinguishes Young from Brigham Young, Jr. (1836-1903), a son by Mary who held important posts in the Church. MARY ANN YOUNG (1834-1882) was Young's second (and likely, favorite) wife, agreeable to his wedding additional wives. Lightly creased and soiled. Overall, fine condition. read more...

JOHN HANCOCK, JOHN AVERY and MOSES GILL Massachusetts' Governor, Secretary of State and future Acting Governor sign a document appointing a Revolutionary War veteran as a Bristol County Justice of the Peace (1781). Partly Printed DS: "John Hancock" as Governor of Massachusetts, 1 page, 11¾x18¾. Boston, 1781 March 27. Countersigned: "John Avery Secy". Appointment of "Elisha May Esq. of Attleborough to be one of the Justices to keep the Peace in the County of Bristol…for the term of seven Years…And to keep and cause to be kept, the Laws and Ordinances made for the Quiet, Rule and Government of the People in the said County…and to chastise and punish all Persons offending against the Form of those Laws and Ordinances…and to cause to come before the said Elisha May Esq all those that shall break the Peace, or attempt any Thing against the same…." On verso is a Manuscript DS: "W. Spooner" read more...

CLARENCE DARROW Lawyer Clarence Darrow wrote about his socialist views - "I am of course a radical as I have always been" - and about his autobiography in this 1933 letter, written on his personalized letterhead. Autograph letter signed "Clarence Darrow.". Black ink notations in bottom left corner in unknown hand. 1 page, 7¼x10½, on Darrow's personal letterhead. Jan. 15, 1933. In full: "My dear Gerson - I am returning the $1.- Of course I am always only sorry that I can't send my best friends books, without their spending money to buy them But really the book is expensive and I have a good many friends (luckily) and I just can't do it. Of course I am glad you liked the book. I am sure that most of it concerns your own ideas. I am of course a radical as I have always been and hoping that our industrial system will be changed. No permanent good can come from the old. If there is any recovery it will last but a short time. I am working some on Technocracy and am glad to see how it is being taken up. If we were not Barbarians no one in the world would be poor. We open talk of you and wish we could see you and [illegible]. You will ever be close to us. read more...