Clements concentrated on two periods of early American history— the colonization of America from the 15th through the 17th centuries and the late 18th century colonial period and revolutionary America. Among some of his notable purchases were Christopher Columbus's letters and reports to the king and queen of Spain describing the first voyage to discover a world that did not then exist on any map. He also purchased John Smith's “True Relation of Virginia,” one of the six copies of Thomas Hariot’’s “A Briefe and True Report of Virginia of 1588,” and also Jefferson's notes on the State.Dann, John C., comp. A Modest Exhibit, Documenting The Growth and Evolution of the Clements Library at the University of Michigan, 1903 to 2007. Ann Arbor, MI: Mosaic Foundation, 2007. 2007. Web.
