Description:

George III King of England

Parliament Passes Act Prohibiting All Trade with American Colonies as a Declaration of Economic Warfare, Ex-Forbes


GEORGE III, “An Act to prohibit all Trade and Intercourse with the Colonies of New Hampshire, Massachuset’s Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pensylvania, the Three Lower Counties on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, during the Continuance of the present Rebellion within the said Colonies respectively; for repealing an Act, made in the Fourteenth Year of the Reign of His present Majesty, to discontinue the Landing and Discharging, Lading or Shipping, of Goods, Wares, and Merchandize, at the Town and within the Harbour of Boston, in the Province of Massachuset’s Bay; and also Two Acts, made in the last session of Parliament, for restraining the Trade and Commerce of the Colonies in the said Acts respectively mentioned; and to enable any Person or Persons, to issue Proclamations, in the Cases, and for the Purposes therein mentioned,” [December 22, 1775]. Printed Document. 32 pp., cover page plus pages 215-244, 7.5" x 12". Reinforced on left edge; very good.


In response to armed American resistance at Lexington and Concord and at Bunker Hill, Parliament passed this act prohibiting all trade from, to, and within the thirteen American colonies and establishing a naval blockade of their ports. It was a virtual declaration of war, and certainly a declaration of economic warfare. It also repealed the two Restraining Acts and the Boston Port Act in favor of prohibiting all trade with the colonies and imposing a blockade.


The Continental Congress responded to the Prohibitory Act on March 23, 1776, by declaring that “Whereas the Parliament of Great-Britain hath lately passed an Act, affirming these Colonies to be in open Rebellion, forbidding all Trade and Commerce with the Inhabitants thereof, until they shall accept Pardons and submit to despotic Rule,...Resolved that all Ships and other Vessels...belonging to any Inhabitant or Inhabitants of Great-Britain, taken on the high seas...shall be deemed and adjudged to be lawful Prize.” That same day, future President John Adams wrote to General Horatio Gates about the Prohibitory Act, “It throws thirteen Colonies out of the Royal Protection, levels all Distinctions and makes us independent in Spight of all our supplications and Entreaties. It may be fortunate that the Act of Independency should come from the British Parliament rather than the American Congress.”

Just over three months later, Congress issued the Declaration of Independence.


Excerpt

“Whereas many Persons in the colonies of New Hampshire, Massachuset’s Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pensylvania, the three lower counties on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, have set themselves in open rebellion and defiance to the just and legal authority of the King and Parliament of Great Britain, to which they ever have been, and of right ought to be, subject; and have assembled together an armed force, engaged his Majesty’s troops, and attacked his forts, have usurped the powers of government, and prohibited all trade and commerce with this Kingdom, and the other parts of his Majesty’s dominions: for the more speedily and effectually suppressing such wicked and daring designs, and for preventing any aid, supply, or assistance, being sent thither during the continuance of the said rebellious and treasonable commotions, be it therefore declared and enacted...That all manner of trade and commerce is and shall be prohibited with the colonies of New Hampshire, Massachuset’s Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pensylvania, the three lower counties on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia; and that all ships and vessels of or belonging to the inhabitants of the said colonies, together with their cargoes, apparel, and furniture, and all other ships and vessels whatsoever, together with their cargoes, apparel, and furniture, which shall be found trading in any port or place of the said colonies, or going to trade, or coming from trading, in any such port or place, shall become forfeited to his Majesty, as if the same were the ships and effects of open enemies....”


Provenance: Ex-Forbes Collection. Malcolm Forbes (1919-1990), the American owner-publisher of Forbes magazine and a consummate collector, amassed one of the most substantial autograph collections of such breadth and depth that it filled a half-dozen residences on three continents. Many of his manuscripts were sold in a series of multi-million dollar sales by Christie's in the early 2000s. The Forbes name is considered to be the apex of provenance, especially when attached to an item like the above. We are honored to have been chosen by the family to sell at auction the substantial balance of the collection.


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.


WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.


After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item.


Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000