“Our poor, neglected and battered Constitution”
George M. Montross of Detroit wrote to Congressman Emanuel Celler, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, in opposition to granting the vote to 18-year-olds. He...
Pennsylvanians reject slavery
This petition asked Congress to abolish slavery within the United States and to block the admission of any new state that allowed slavery within its borders....
Petition from Quakers to Congress
Six months after the end of the Spanish-American War, Filipino insurgents began a three-year war seeking Philippine independence. The Philanthropic Committee of...
Petitioning for the vote
With this petition, men and women from Salem, Massachusetts, ask Congress to pass an amendment giving all citizens the right to vote, regardless of their sex. On May...
Pope’s vision for Lincoln
Nearly half a century after Lincoln dedicated the national cemetery at Gettysburg, Congress appropriated money to plan a monument honoring his memory. Two of the...
Postcard from Wallace Ellis to Hon. Homer P. Snyder regarding woman suffrage
Wallace Ellis sent this postcard opposing the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution to New York Congressman Homer P. Snyder. The amendment would grant...
Recovering runaways
During the Revolutionary War, both sides promised freedom to slaves who were willing and able to fight. These offers of freedom varied greatly and were often...