The materials listed below are documents selected for
Presidential Ink: Signatures and Memorabilia an exhibition to
celebrate the 100th anniversary of the creation of the
North Carolina Historical Commission. The anniversary jointly honors the
founding of the North Carolina State Archives and the North Carolina Museum
of History. The exhibit focuses on a collection of documents from the holdings
of the State Archives bearing the signatures of all the men who have served as
president of the United States. These documents are complemented by objects
from the collection of the Museum of History in the original exhibit. One of
the purposes of this exhibit to celebrate the founding of the State Archives
is to emphasize that this collection of presidential signatures illustrates
the work of the state archives, the depth and variety of its holdings, and
the various ways in which documents come into the custody of the Archives.
Items with a thumbnail image are linked to one or more hi-resolution digital images. To view
these images you will need to download the DjVu plug-in. See below for more information.
George Washington (1789-1797)
George Washington, New York, October 2, 1789, to Samuel Johnston.
George Washington, August 26, 1790, to the Governor and Council of State of North Carolina.
John Adams (1797-1801)
John Adams, September 4, 1798, to John Steele, Comptroller of the U.S. Treasury.
John Adams, "Thoughts on Government," an essay on the formation of governments.
"Thoughts on Government," First Draft
Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)
Thomas Jefferson, Washington, December 10, 1802, to John Steele, Salisbury.
Thomas Jefferson, Monticello, January 22, 1816, to Nathaniel Macon.
James Madison (1809-1817)
James Madison, January 16, 1810, to the North Carolina General Assembly.
James Madison, Montpellier, July 15, 1831, to Governor Montfort Stokes
James Monroe (1817-1825)
Patent, May 13, 1818, signed by Monroe as president granting land to Jacob Simons in Illinois territory.
John Quincy Adams (1825-1829)
John Quincy Adams, May 23, 1846, to Charles Phillips, Secretary of the Historical Society of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Andrew Jackson (1829-1837)
Andrew Jackson, Huntsville, Alabama, May 8, 1814, to Brig. General Joseph Graham, Fort Jackson.
Martin Van Buren (1837-1841)
Martin Van Buren, July 26, 1830, to Nathaniel Macon.
William Henry Harrison (1841)
William Henry Harrison, aide-de-camp, Headquarters, Greenville, Ohio, July 11, 1795.
John Tyler (1841-1845)
John Tyler, Montgomery, Alabama, May 14, 1861, to Col. J. Johnston Pettigrew, aide-de-camp to Governor Francis W. Pickens of South Carolina.
James Knox Polk (1845-1849)
James K. Polk, Washington, April 29, 1846, to D. S. L. Swain, President of the University of North Carolina.
Zachary Taylor (1849-1850)
Autographed engraving of Zachary Taylor by J. Sartain from a sketch made by Captain Eaton, aide-de-camp, Camargo, Mexico, August 15, 1846.
Millard Fillmore (1850-1853)
Millard Fillmore, Washington, July 22, 1850, to William A. Graham.
Franklin Pierce (1853-1857)
Commission, January 10, 1855, of William D. Pender as second lieutenant in the Second Regiment of Artillery, United States Army, signed by President Franklin Pierce and Secretary of War Jefferson Davis.
James Buchanan (1857-1861)
James Buchanan, May 21, 1859, Washington, to Lawrence O'Bryan Branch.
Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)
Order signed by Abraham Lincoln, April 8, 1862, authorizing and directing the Secretary of State of affix the Seal of the United States to a document addressed to the Emperor of Russia announcing the recall of Cassius Clay as American Ambassdor.
Andrew Johnson (1865-1869)
Parole signed by Andrew Johnson dated September 28, 1866 granting Zebulon B. Vance permission to visit any place in the United States subject to the conditions imposed by the parole.
Ulysses Simpson Grant (1869-1877)
Ulysses S. Grant, Secretary of War, November 25, 1867, to Jonathan Worth, Governor of North Carolina.
Rutherford Birchard Hays (1877-1881)
Appointment signed by President Rutherford B. Hayes, June 20, 1877, of Alfred V. Dockery as consul of the United States at Leeds, England.
James Abram Garfield (1881)
James A. Garfield, Washington, November 27, 1872, to Major General Irvin McDowell, New York.
Chester Alan Arthur (1881-1885)
Official signatures of President Chester A. Arthur, Secretary of State Frederick T. Frelinghuysen, and private secretary Fred J. Phillips on a request of February 15, 1883, from the Executive Department, State of North Carolina.
Stephen Grover Cleveland (1885-1889 and 1893-1897)
Document signed by President Grover Cleveland notifying Alfred V. Dockery of his suspension from his post as consul of the United States at Leeds, England.
Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893)
Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis, May 2, 1887, to Alfred V. Dockery, Carthage, N.C.
William McKinley (1897-1901)
Official signature and seal of William McKinley as governor of Ohio, April 14, 1893.
Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)
Autographed speech, printed on 30 cards, delivered by President Theodore Roosevelt on October 19, 1905 during a visit to Raleigh.
William Howard Taft (1909-1913)
William Howard Taft, New Haven, June 13, 1913, to Walter Clark, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Raleigh.
Appointment.
Photograph of William Howard Taft.
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)
Woodrow Wilson, The White House, Washington, May 14, 1917, to Edward W. Pou, House of Representative, Washington.
Warren Gamalief Harding (1921-1923)
Warren G. Harding, The White House, Washington, September 16 1922, to Edward W. Pou.
John Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929)
Calvin Coolidge, The White House, October 2, 1923, to Governor Cameron Morrison.
Herbert Clark Hoover (1929-1933)
Herbert Hoover, The White House, August 30, 1932, to Edward W. Pou.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1933-1945)
Franklin D. Roosevelt, The White House, March 8, 1934, to Governor John C. B. Ehringhaus.
Harry S. Truman (1945-1953)
Harry S. Truman, The White House, February 27, 1947, to Josephus Daniels, Raleigh.
Dwight David Eisenhower (1953-1961)
Dwight D. Eisenhower, The White House, February 7, 1956, to Governor Luther H. Hodges.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1961-1963)
John F. Kennedy, September 30, 1960, to L. Y. Ballentine.
Lyndon Baines Johnson (1963-1969)
Lyndon B. Johnson, The White House, March 13, 1966, Governor Dan K. Moore.
Richard Milhouse Nixon (1959-1974)
Richard M. Nixon, The White House, February 2, 1971, to Governor Robert W. Scott.
Richard M. Nixon, The White House, December 8, 1973, to Governor James E. Holshouser.
Gerald R. Ford (1974-1977)
Gerald R. Ford, The White House, December 4, 1974, to Governor James E. Holshouser, Jr.
James Earl Carter (1977-1981)
Jimmy Carter, Atlanta, February 3, 1971, to Governor Robert W. Scott.
Jimmy Carter autograph, February 8, 1978, on a White House business card.
Ronald W. Reagan (1981-1989)
Ronald Reagan, The White House, March 18, 1982, to Governor James B. Hunt, Jr.
George Herbert Walker Bush (1989-1993)
George Bush, The White House, June 3, 1991.
William Jefferson Clinton (1993-2001)
Bill Clinton, The White House, January 15, 1998, to Governor James B. Hunt.
George W. Bush (2001-present)
George W. Bush, September 6, 2000.