THOMAS JEFFERSON and JAMES MADISON In the year of the Louisiana Purchase, both the President and the Secretary of State sign this grant of land in the new State of Ohio Land Grant signed: "Th. Jefferson" as President, "James Madison" as Secretary of State, 1 page, 13¼x10½. Washington, D.C., November 3, 1803. Document bears a large blind-embossed seal in the lower left-hand corner. In accordance with the Act of Congress providing for the sale of lands in the territory northwest of the Ohio River and above the mouth of the Kentucky, and determining that Benjamin Stanton has made full payment for a specified section of land there, the land is granted to Stanton, his heirs and assigns forever. Stanton's payment was deposited at the land office in Steubenville, in the new State of Ohio. Ohio became the 17th State in 1803 on either February 19, when Congress approved Ohio's constitution, or March 1, the date celebrated by the state of Ohio as the day its legislature first met. THOMAS JEFFERSON (1743-1826) served as third U.S. read more...

1904: THEODORE ROOSEVELT's ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTE CERTIFICATION Official Electoral College certification by the President of the Senate, William P. Frye, also signed by tellers of the US Senate and House of Representatives Printed Declaration signed: "Wm. P. Frye/President pro tempore" of the U.S. Senate and "Julius C. Burrows" and "J.W. Bailey" as tellers on the part of the Senate and "Joseph H. Gaines" and "Gordon Russell" as tellers on the part of the House of Representatives, 1p, 11½x28, Washington, District of Columbia, not dated. Certificate of the Electoral College votes deciding Theodore Roosevelt as President and Charles W. Fairbanks as Vice President. According to the 12th Amendment to the U.S. read more...

ANDREW JACKSON As President, he signs an 1829 autograph letter to a Tennessee neighbor, explaining that he has neither the desire nor the financial means to purchase an offered parcel of land adjacent to his own. Autograph Letter Signed: "Andrew Jackson" as President, 1 page, 8x10. Washington, 1829 September 3. To Captain Peter Mosely. In full: "Being absent from this city at the Rip Raps for the benefit of my health I did not receive your letter until my return on the first instant and I hasten to answer it the first leisure moment that has occurred. I regret to say to you, that my monied concerns are not in a situation to purchase your land, I am sorry to be compelled to say to you, that my expense is equal to all my means, & it is out of my power to loan you the sum wanted. The land you propose selling; that part where McCulla lived, would not suit me; If I had the means to buy, I would buy that north of my tract, say 150 acres at a fair price, but as yet, I have not the means. read more...

PRESIDENTS THEODORE ROOSEVELT, HARRY TRUMAN and JOHN F. KENNEDY All three signed this postcard featuring a 45-star American flag, postmarked during TR's Presidency. Roosevelt and Kennedy almost certainly signed as President. Postcard signed: "T Roosevelt", "Harry Truman", "John Kennedy", 3½x5½. Postcard bearing on verso a US flag with 45 stars, outlined in gold glitter, signed there by all three. Addressed on verso by an unknown hand to Miss Louise Herbst, 2308 Bryant Street, City, postmarked San Francisco, California, October 22, 1907. A nice collection of of America's 26th, 33rd and 35th Presidents. This collection must have been gathered over many years. John F. Kennedy was not even born until 1917, two years before Roosevelt's death. THEODORE ROOSEVELT (1858-1919), HARRY TRUMAN (1884-1972) and JOHN F. KENNEDY (1917-1963) are among the nation's most venerated chief executives.  Since the postcard contains no other text, it was probably returned with Teddy Roosevelt's signature during his Presidency (1901-1909). Kennedy probably signed as President too. read more...

GEORGE W. BUSH, RUDY GIULIANI, HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, GEORGE PATAKI and MICHAEL BLOOMBERG This white hard hat, used during the clean-up of Ground Zero at New York's destroyed Twin Towers, was signed by President George W. Bush, New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, New York Governor George Pataki, United States Senator from New York Hillary Rodham Clinton and Michael Bloomberg, who succeeded Giuliani as mayor. Except for Bloomberg, all the signers on this helmet were in office during the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Helmet inscribed and signed: "to Michael/ Best/Wishes/ George W Bush", "Rudy Giuliani", "Hillary Rodham Clinton", "George Pataki" and "Michael Bloomberg". White helmet with logo of New York City DOT [Department of Transportation] on front. Green decal imprinted "Track Safety MTA NYC 2001" affixed on back, three pieces of yellow reflecting tape affixed at both sides and on back. On the ill-fated day of read more...

KENNEDY FAMILY ARCHIVE Collection of nearly 80 personal items spanning almost a century, most of which were the personal mementoes of Mary Loretta Connelly, Joseph P. Kennedy's sister. Included are many signed letters from the family patriarch, Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.; items signed by John, Robert and Ted Kennedy and spouses Jackie, Ethel and Joan; mementoes associated with the eldest Kennedy brother, Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr; items connected with Kennedy sisters Pat, Eunice, Jean and Kathleen; and souvenirs of the next generation of Kennedy's: JFK Jr., Caroline Kennedy, and their cousin Joseph Kennedy II and Ted Kennedy, Jr. Most of the items in this remarkable collection of Kennedy family history come from Kerry McCarthy, the granddaughter of Joseph P. Kennedy's sister Mary Loretta (Kennedy) Connelly, and herself a well-known and respected political activist. They have been in her family for many years. Additional well authenticated items offered here to round out the collection are JFK's clipped signature, the handwritten manuscript by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, the photographs of John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Joseph Kennedy II, and the invitation to a Kennedy Presidential Library event signed by Caroline Kennedy. read more...

THE MONTH AFTER THE BRITISH BLOCKADED THE EASTERN SEABOARD SOUTH OF NARRAGANSETT DURING THE WAR OF 1812, SHIP'S PAPERS ARE ISSUED TO A VESSEL FROM GLOUSTER, MASSACHUSETTS   JAMES MADISON, JAMES MONROE and JOHN KITTREDGE Partly Printed DS: "James Madison" as fourth U.S. President and "Jas Monroe" as Secretary of State, 1p, 10x15, irregularly cut. Washington, D.C., 1813 December 8. Ship's passport on vellum signed in Washington but issued out of "State of Massachusetts, District of Glouster". Cosigned: "John Kittredge Coll." as Collector for that port. In part: "By the President of the United States of America SUFFER the Schoner (sic) Dolphin Samuel Grace master or commander of the burthen of Sixty nine tons or thereabouts mounted with No guns navigated with Six men TO PASS with her Company Passengers Goods and Merchandize without any hinderance seizure or molestation the said Schooner appearing by good testimoney to belong to one or more of the Citizens of the United States and to him or them only...." On vellum. read more...

PRESIDENT WILLIAM J. "BILL" CLINTON The 42nd U.S. President pens this encouraging note to Senator Daniel Moynihan referring to some social and economic aspects, signed in black ink Autograph Note Signed: "Bill" in black ink as President. One page. 6¼x4¼ card. Embossed with gilt Presidential Seal and words "The President". Place: Washington, District of Columbia. Date: September 28, 1999. Addressed to: Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. In full: "Senator, If we persevere we'll get this done! - I will help in any way I can, in or out of office. Best."  A day earlier, after getting the news of a higher than expected $115 billion budget surplus, President Clinton said, in part: "This triple digit surplus is larger than projected, larger than last year's and, in fact, larger than any surplus in the history of the United States…We can give the American read more...

ABRAHAM LINCOLN While defending a woman accused of murdering her husband (1857), the future President added six lines of text in his own hand to the written deposition of a witness. Autograph Statement unsigned at the conclusion of Manuscript Document Signed: "J.L. Springgate", 2 pages, 7¾x12¼. Woodford County, [Metamora, Illinois], c. 1845-1857. AT THE CONCLUSION, SIX LINES IN THE HAND OF LINCOLN DIRECTLY ABOVE SPRINGGATE'S SIGNATURE, NOT SIGNED BY LINCOLN WHO WROTE, IN FULL: "Re-cross examination by defendants- The morning of the sale, Laws said that he wanted to go and buy horses, and wanted Vandike to go with him and be his security, and then they both, and this witness went to the sale together (The plaintiff objects to the last piece of evidence)". The names of the plaintiff and defendants are spelled differently throughout the document. Headed: "Deposition of Witness to be used in evidence on the trial of the case now pending in the Circuit Court of Woodford County where John A. Minahan is Plff & J J Lass & Wm G Vandike are defts pursuant to agreement representative of the parties. read more...