Description:

John Nicholson
Philadelphia, PA, October 31, 1800
John Nicholson ALS to Signer Thomas Fitzsimons from Debtor's Prison, Two Months Before His Death
ALS
An autograph letter signed by John Nicholson, addressed to Constitution signer, Thomas Fitzsimons. 1p, measuring 8" x 10", Philadelphia, October 31, 1800. Writing from debtor's prison, Nicholson signs the letter "Jno. Nicholson" and advises Fitzsimons about taxes and sales in connection with land speculation in Kentucky. With flattened mail folds and small tears and chipping to the edges and corners. Staining and dampstaining throughout, affecting the legibility of some text. Boldly signed.

Reading in full:
"Sir, I forgot to mention to you yesterday when here what before you came I had designed to do that is that as the same parade of advertising took place in 1796 for the taxes which is now made in Kentucky and yet no sales were made it is probably the same may be the case this year - Therefore would it not be well to give your instruction so that the money should not be paid until it was found to be absolutely necessary to prevent the sale."

John Nicholson (1757-1800) was appointed Comptroller General in 1782, and for the next twelve years he oversaw the fiscal development of Pennsylvania. Under his management, the state was the first to be restored to financial stability after the turmoil of the Revolution. He promoted economic development through both transportation improvements and industrial innovation, while also sponsoring many important American inventors and mechanics. However, Nicholson's high-handed methods increasingly came under attack and he was impeached on a charge of diverting state funds in 1793. He then became the partner of Robert Morris in land speculation and development. Among other dealings, Morris and Nicholson, along with James Greenleaf, formed the North American Land Company in 1795, which became one of the largest land trusts in American history. It owned some 6,000,000 acres of land in Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, and five southern states, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Kentucky.

The North American Land Company, though, had financial problems from the start. There were questions about the validity of some of its land titles, and some areas of land were difficult to sell because they consisted of bare, sandy wilderness. Nicholson became increasingly involved in wild speculation and found himself in severe financial trouble. He was acquitted by the Senate in 1794 but resigned all his offices and ended up in debtors prison alongside Morris in 1799. He suffered a complete mental and physical breakdown and died in prison on December 5, 1800, leaving his wife and eight children with more than four million dollars in debts.

We are proud to include items consigned by the Manuscript Society in this auction. These items come from the estate of well-known manuscript dealers Forest G. & Forest H. Sweet and Julia Sweet Newman. Forest G. Sweet was an early leader of the Manuscript Society as well as a rare book scholar. The proceeds from your purchase of these items will benefit the work of the Manuscript Society. You can learn more about them, and become a member of the Manuscript Society, at www.manuscript.org.

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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  • Dimensions: 8" x 10"
  • Medium: ALS

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