Description:

Richard Henry Lee FF Addressed to GA Governor, Calling for Delegates to Discuss 1785 Land Ordinance

A postal cover signed by Declaration of Independence signer Richard Henry Lee (1732-1794) as "R.H. Lee" at lower left. Stamped "New York, May 2", [1785] at upper left, and also "Free" near the postage section. The cover is secretarially inscribed "(Public Service)" and addressed to "His Excellency / The Governor of Georgia / Savannah." Extensively docketed along its vertical orientation, reading, "Received June 23d 1785 / Letter of Resolution / of Congress Apl. 30th / respecting a fuller repre [-] / sentation. Reced in / Council 8th July 1785 / No. 8 / dated 30 April / Resolutions / of Congress / Filed." Remnants of a red wax seal found verso. Expected wear and weathering including paper folds, uneven toning, and isolated loss along some folds and edges, expertly silked. Unfolded measures 10.75" x 8," folded measures 8" x 3.5."

Richard Henry Lee free franked this cover as President of the Congress of the Confederation, a role he held between November 1784 and November 1785. The circular letter that this cover once contained was sent to the Governors of New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware and Georgia, requesting that each state send additional "Delegates…to repair immediately to Congress." At question was "a very pressing state of the public affairs," specifically, "an Ordinance for disposing of lands in the western Territory." Lee argued that such an important issue as land allotment required more attendance, or, "fuller representation" in Congress, as the cover docket so aptly glossed it.

A complete transcript of the circular letter that this cover once contained can be accessed via the Lee Family Digital Archive (Letter No. 797.) It can be found attached; please note that it is not included with this lot, and only mentioned here to provide historical context.

The Land Ordinance of 1785 provided a systematized way by which lands in modern day Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio--territory west of the Appalachian Mountains, east of the Mississippi River, and north of the Ohio River--could be divided and purchased by western settlers. It was an extension of Thomas Jefferson's Land Ordinance of 1784, which directed Congress to discuss the issue. Land sale provided an important source of federal revenue and also funded public education. The Land Ordinance of 1785 was adopted by the Confederation Congress on May 20, 1785.

Samuel Elbert (1740-1788) was elected Governor of Georgia in January 1785. The term of the Revolutionary War veteran lasted one year.

Richard Henry Lee authored Lee's Resolution in June 1776, advocating for the permanent separation of the American colonies from Great Britain. He also signed the Declaration of Independence. Lee served in Virginia state government as well as three iterations of Congress: Continental, Confederation, and U.S.

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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