LOT #42160 |
Sold on Jun 19, 2026 for: Not Sold
Ulysses S. Grant Autograph Letter Signed...
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Description
President Grant Amends an Executive Order to Support Louis Agassiz's Scientific Work in Alaska
Ulysses S. Grant Autograph Letter Signed ("U. S.
Grant"). One page, 7 3/8 x 9 3/4 inches; Washington; March 21,
1871. Docketed on the verso, "Executive order of March 21,
1871."A noteworthy presidential document in which Ulysses S. Grant authorizes an amendment to a prior executive order, permitting Professor Louis Agassiz to import distilled spirits into Alaska for use in preserving natural history specimens, just four years after the Alaska Purchase. Grant pens, in full:
"So much of the Executive Order of February 4, 1870, as prohibits the importation and use of distilled spirits into and within the Islands of St. Paul and St. George, Alaska, is hereby modified so as to permit Professor Louis Agassiz to ship one hundred gallons of alcohol to Mr. Charles Bryant, a special agent of the Treasury Department on duty in that territory, subject to such regulations at the Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe, the said alcohol to be used solely in the preservation of specimens of animals that are being collected for the museum of Harvard College.
U. S. Grant
President."
Grant's original executive order of February 4, 1870, had prohibited the importation of liquor into Alaska, a measure intended to regulate activity in the region following its acquisition from Russia in 1867. This amendment creates a narrow but significant exception, recognizing the importance of Agassiz's research. At the time, Agassiz was one of the most prominent scientists in the United States and the founder of Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology. His work in Alaska formed part of a broader effort to document and study the natural resources of the region, and the ability to preserve specimens in alcohol was essential to that endeavor.
A compelling document linking the early administration of Alaska, the Grant presidency, and the expanding role of scientific inquiry in nineteenth-century America.
Condition: Overall fine. Flattened mailing folds and light, scattered soiling. Paper remnants adhered to verso, with some light adhesive staining showing through to the recto.
Auction Info
2026 June 19 The John H. Freund Americana Collection Signature® Auction #6331 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
June, 2026
19th
Friday
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