Collecting American Histories: The Tracy W. McGregor Library at 75 features rare and significant broadsides, books, prints, and letters that illuminate many aspects of the American experience. Drawn from a collection initially formed by Detroit philanthropist Tracy W. McGregor, and given to the University of Virginia in 1938, the items on display tell stories ranging from the early settlement of Virginia to the Mather family of Puritan ministers; to the clash of European powers over the North American continent; to the diaspora of Native Americans from their ancestral lands; and to the servants and slaves on whose backs the American economy depended. 

The exhibition also highlights the philanthropic activities of Tracy and Katherine McGregor, who worked to improve the lives of many Michigan residents, and whose legacy includes ensuring the accessibility of this superlative collection to generations of students and scholars seeking a better understanding of American history.

Visit the exhibition through July 2014 in the main gallery at the Mary and David Harrison Institute for American History, Literature, and Culture, and the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library. For information about visiting, please go to the Harrison Institute site or call 434-924-6109. Visit the full exhibition website here.

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