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...

BILL CLINTON President Bill Clinton signed this typed letter to Senator Pat Moynihan in 1999 regarding live bombing exercises Vieques, Puerto Rico that had killed a native Puerto Rican earlier that year. He added an autograph postscript that "I will do all I can to bring this to a satisfactory conclusion"... and he did. Typed Letter Signed: "Bill" as President, 2p, 7x10½, separate sheets. The White House, Washington, 1999 October 20. On White House letterhead to The Honorable Daniel Patrick Moynihan, United States Senate, Washington, D.C. Begins: "Dear Pat". In part: "Thank you for your letter on the Navy's target practice at Vieques, Puerto Rico. I especially appreciate your thoughts because of your personal experience as well as the insight you provided on Puerto Rico matters in general. You helped me understand the Puerto Rico issue during the dinner you recalled in your letter and at other points early in my presidency...I also recognize the unprecedented unity and strong feelings Puerto Ricans have regarding Vieques... read more...

RONALD REAGAN Handwritten letter as President of the United States to Lydia "Hup" MacArthur, the widow of Peter MacArthur, who gave Reagan his first job as a 21 year old Sports Announcer in Davenport, Iowa. Autograph Letter signed: "Dutch", 1 page, 5¾x4. Washington, D.C., 1988 August 2. On White House Letterhead to his friend Lydia "Hup" MacArthur. In full: "I've just sent a note to Myrtle. I hope I have the right address 'Polk City Manor.' I used my recent visit to WOC's new studio in Davenport as my excuse for writing-the memories & all. it does seem terrible to think of her as being down & not the life of the party. I'm glad to hear you are well. Give Dottie my very best regards. Nancy sends her greetings to you." Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) had two careers: actor and politician. His first movie was Love is on the Air (1937) and his 53rd and last film was The Killers (1964). In 1965, he wrote his autobiography, Where's the Rest of Me?, a line from his role as Drake McHugh in King's Row (1942). read more...

FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT'S THIRD INAUGURATION Oversize black and white photograph showing FDR being inaugurated for his third term, signed by the President, his Vice President and Secretary of State, Chief Supreme Court Justice Charles E. Hughes and Supreme Court Clerk Charles Elmore Cropley, who held the President's family bible while the oath was administered. Handsomely framed to 17½x15. Photograph signed: "Franklin D Roosevelt", "Charles E. Hughes, Jan. 20, 1941", "Charles Elmore Cropley/January 20, 1941.", "Cordell Hull" and "H.A. Wallace", B/w 13¼x10¼, framed to 17½x15. On Monday, January 20, 1941, Franklin Delano Roosevelt became the nation's first and only president to be inaugurated to a third term in office. FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT (1882-1945, born in Hyde Park, New York) is an American politician who served as president during two of the most difficult times in world history, the Great Depression and World War II. He also served as president for four terms (1933-1945), longer than any other president in history. read more...

ABRAHAM LINCOLN This is a rare handwritten legal document, signed by Lincoln with his firm's name of "Murphy & Lincoln" and with two paragraphs of comments on a suit against Sam Frazier, sheriff of Vermillion County, Indiana. It's an excellent example of a document from before he became 16th President of the United States. Rare Autograph Endorsement signed: "Murphy & Lincoln [illegible]", 1p, 7¾x12½. Champaign County, Illinois, circa 1852. In full: "And the defendant doth the like." Signed beneath the first paragraph of a manuscript document relating to the case of Nelson Ligget vs Samuel Frazier, who were represented by Linder Benedict & Davis. In full: "And the said plaintiff for replication to said defendants first pleas by him above pleaded, says precludi non, because he says That the said defendant at the time and place when & in the said plea mentioned, he the said defendant did not then and there have in his possession the said writ in said plea mentioned And this the said plaintiff prays may be enquired of by the county &c." A second paragraph follows Lincoln's first endorsement. read more...

BRIGHAM YOUNG, HEBER C. KIMBALL, NEWELL WHITNEY and THOMAS BULLOCK Collection of paper currency issued in 1849, including notes signed by Young as President and Heber Kimball as First Counselor of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, framed in the Gallery of History style with pictures of both leaders to 33x24 Comprises: (1) Partly Printed Note, not signed, 3¼x2. Great Salt Lake City, 1849 March 28. 25-cent note, not filled in. Slightly creased. Lightly soiled. (2) Partly Printed Note signed: "Brigham Young" as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, "Heber C. Kimball" as First Counselor and "Thos. Bullock - Clerk", 3¾x2. Great Salt Lake City, 1849 January 20. No. 842. In full: "Pay to N.K. Whitney or bearer fifty cents on demand." Embossed seal nicks the "B" of Brigham and the "H of Heber and touches Bullock's signature. (3) Partly Printed Note signed: "B. Young" as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, "H.C. Kimball" as First Counselor and " 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...

HIS FIRST PAYCHECK AS PRESIDENT, BEARING HIS ENDORSEMENT CALVIN COOLIDGE Partly Printed Paycheck Endorsed on verso: "Deposit/Calvin Coolidge" as 30th U.S. President, 8½x3¼. Washington, D.C., 1923 August 31. "Treasurer of the United States/Pay Five Thousand Eight Hundred Thirty Three 33/100 ### Dollars/$5,833.33/To The Order of Calvin Coolidge President of the United States/The White House/Washington DC." Coolidge's annual salary as President was $75,000. His monthly salary was $6,250. THIS CHECK REPRESENTS HIS SALARY FOR AUGUST 1923, HIS FIRST MONTH AS PRESIDENT. President Harding had died on August 2, 1923 and at 2:30 A.M. August 3rd, John Coolidge, a notary public, swore in his son as President of the United States. If one divides $6,250 by 30 days, one gets a daily salary of $208.33. Harding was President on August 1st and 2nd. Multiply that by 28 days to get $5,833.33, the amount of Coolidge's check. But Coolidge was President in August for 29 days (August has 31 not 30 days), so his daily salary for August 1923, was actually $201. read more...

THOMAS JEFFERSON Jefferson handwrote, signed and dated this letter from Monticello in 1812 to James Leitch, a merchant in Charlottesville, Virginia. He wrote that he wanted a bottle of olive oil for an upcoming trip: "The more of it he can spare in silver, the more convenient it will be for the road." Jefferson was fascinated by the olive plant and ate olive oil regularly; it's one of the reasons he lived to 83 in a time when the average lifespan was 40. Third-person autograph letter signed "Th. Jefferson", 1p, 7x4. Monticello, April 30, 1812. Addressed on verso by Jefferson to "Mr. Leitch". In full: "Th. Jefferson understanding that Mr Leitch has olive oil, will be glad of a bottle of it. Being to set out on a journey within 2 or 3 days he asks the favor of him to change the inclosed bill [not included]. The more of it he can spare in silver, the more convenient it will be for the road." JAMES LEITCH was a merchant in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Leitch Storehouse still stands at 230-218 Court Square in downtown Charlottesville. read more...