Description:

Early Immigration, G. Washington on Citizenship of "Free white persons born within the limits of the United States"

After the outbreak of war between Great Britain and France in 1793, the British Royal Navy began impressing American seamen. After negotiations failed to settle the issue, Congress passed an "Act for the Relief and Protection of American Seamen," and President Washington signed the act on May 28, 1796. It allowed U.S. Customs officials to grant certificates of citizenship to native-born and naturalized American sailors working aboard American vessels. Because the act lacked specific directions, President Washington had Secretary of the Treasury Oliver Wolcott Jr. draft these guidelines to govern the actions of customs officials in distributing certificates of citizenship.

The impressment of American seamen into the Royal Navy continued to be a source of conflict between the two nations until it became one of the factors precipitating the War of 1812.

OLIVER WOLCOTT JR., Printed Document Signed, July 19, 1796. 2 pp., 7.5" x 9". Small edge tears; second page trimmed tightly at top but with no loss of text.

Excerpts
"The enclosed Act for the relief and protection of American Seamen, passed at the last session of Congress having neither ascertained what proof of citizenship shall be in any case deemed sufficient nor how such proof shall be authenticated, to authorize a delivery of the certificate of citizenship, in that act prescribed; the President of the United States, has thought it expedient, to the end, that there may be an easy, certain and uniform mode of executing the laws in these particulars, to give some general instructions upon the subject, which I am by him directed to communicate to all the Collectors for their rule and government. They are as follows:
"Persons of the following descriptions are to be registered and furnished with certificates of citizenship:
"1. Free white persons born within the limits of the United States, or any of them, and free white persons born in any foreign country but actually settled within the limits of the United States on the third day of September in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty three.
"2. Persons naturalized pursuant to the laws of any of the United States prior to the twenty ninth day of January in the year one thousand seven hundred ninety-five.
"3. Persons naturalized pursuant to the law of the United States passed on the twenty sixth day of March in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety, while it was in force.
"4. Persons naturalized pursuant to the law of the United States passed on the twenty-ninth day of January in the year one thousand seven hundred ninety-five.
"5. Children of citizens of the United States or any one of them, born at any place out of the limits of the United States.
"6. Children of naturalized citizens, dwelling in the United States and under twenty one years of age at the time of such naturalization."

"The Collectors will observe that they are to make known the provisions of the law to all masters of American vessels, entering and clearing in their offices, this may be done by affixing a copy of the Act in some conspicuous place in the several Custom Houses; all masters of American vessels are also before entry, to be required to declare on oath or affirmation, how far they have complied with the provisions of the law, and particularly whether any of their crews have been impressed or detained. In cases where impressments or detentions shall be disclosed by the oaths or affirmations of the masters; information of such impressments or detentions is to be transmitted to the Secretary of State."

Oliver Wolcott Jr. (1760-1833) was born in Connecticut and graduated from Yale College and Litchfield Law School. During the Revolutionary War, he served as his father's aide-de-camp and then as quartermaster from 1779 to 1781. He left the army to practice law and served on the Connecticut Committee of the Pay Table from 1782 to 1784. After serving as Connecticut Comptroller of Public Accounts, he became the first auditor of the federal Treasury Department in 1789. In 1791, he became Comptroller of the Treasury Department. In 1795, he succeeded Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury and served until the end of 1800, when he resigned under accusations by political enemies. President John Adams appointed Wolcott as judge of the U.S. Circuit Court for the Second Circuit, one of Adams's "midnight judge" appointments at the end of his administration. Wolcott held the position until President Thomas Jefferson and the Republican-controlled Congress abolished it in mid-1802. After serving as a director of the Bank of the United States from 1810 to 1811, he established the Bank of America in 1811 and continued with it until 1814. He served ten consecutive one-year terms as Governor of Connecticut from 1817 to 1827, and also served as a delegate to the state constitutional convention in 1818.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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