Stolen Alexander Hamilton letter will stay in Mass. after Supreme Court refuses to hear case

The Massachusetts Archives will get to keep a historic Alexander Hamilton letter that was previously stolen from the archives and reappeared at an auction over 70 years later.

The letter, which Hamilton wrote in 1780 to the Marquis de Lafayette,  is believed to have been stolen by a former employee of the Massachusetts Archives during World War II, State House News Service (SHNS) reported.

It reappeared in 2018 when it was brought to an auction house in Virginia to be sold, the Service reported. The auction house realized it was the stolen letter and contacted the F.B.I.

Even so, SHNS reported, the family that was trying to sell it claimed they had purchased it legally, making them the rightful owners.

On Monday, the Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of a lower court ruling that allowed the Massachusetts Archives to keep the letter, effectively ending a four-year custody battle over the letter, SHNS reported.

“This important piece of Revolutionary War history belongs to the people of Massachusetts, where it is now guaranteed to remain for all to see,” Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin said in a statement to SHNS. 

Galvin told the Service that he plans to display the letter during events at the Commonwealth Museum.

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