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Original Exhibition Caption: This broadside announced that American shipowners had Congressional approval to act as privateers, with the legal authority to capture British vessels and cargoes and claim them as property. Measures like this were commonly employed by warring nations during the eighteenth century to weaken their enemies.
John Jay (1745-1829) was a delegate to the First and Second Continental Congresses and held a number of important governmental and diplomatic posts during the early years of the American Republic. He served as the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1789-1795.
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519767974
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Continental Congress broadside signed by John Jay
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doc
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document
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id
519767974
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document
title
Continental Congress broadside signed by John Jay
description
Original Exhibition Caption: This broadside announced that American shipowners had Congressional approval to act as privateers, with the legal authority to capture British vessels and cargoes and claim them as property. Measures like this were commonly employed by warring nations during the eighteenth century to weaken their enemies.
John Jay (1745-1829) was a delegate to the First and Second Continental Congresses and held a number of important governmental and diplomatic posts during the early years of the American Republic. He served as the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1789-1795.
citationUrl
identifierLocal
AR 2025.1.75
collections
Naval and Marine Manuscript Collection
Correspondence, Subject and Other Manuscript Records
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1
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naId
519767974
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day
3
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1776-04-03
month
4
year
1776
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nara-archive
Single page context
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1
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0
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photo
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8a3225878abb4e52
ocrText
In
CONGRESS,
WEDNESDAY April 3, 1776.
INSTRUCTIONS to the COMMANDERS of Private Ships or Velfels
of War, which Shall have Commitions or Letters of Marque and Reprifal,
authorifing them to make Captures of British Velfels and Cargoes.
I.
Y
U may, by Force of Arms, attack, fubdue, and take all Ships and other Veffels belonging to the
Subjects of the King of Great-Britain, on the High Seas, or between High-water and Low-water
Marks, except Ships and Veffels bringing perfons who intend to fettle and refide in the United
Colonies or bringing Arms, Ammunition or warlike Stores to the faid Colonies, for the Ufe of fuch In-
habitants thereof 2: are Friends to the American Caufe, which you fhall fuffer to pafs unmolefted, the
Commanders thereof permitting a peaceable Search, and giving fatisfactory Information of the Contents
of
the Ladings, and Deftinations of the Voyages.
II.
You may, by Force of Arms, attack, fubdue, and take all Ships and other Veffels whatfoever, carrying
Soldiers, Arms, Gun-powder, Ammunition, Provisions, or any other contraband Goods, to any of the
Britifh Armies or Ships of War, employed againft thefe Colonies.
III.
You fhall bring fuch Ships and Veffels as you fhall take, with their Guns, Rigging, Tackle, Apparel,
Furniture and Ladings, to fome convenient Port or Ports of the United Colonies, that Proceedings may
thereupon be had in due Form, before the Courts which are or fhall be there appointed to hear and deter-
mine Caufes civil and maritime.
IV.
You or one of your Chief Officers fhall bring or fend the Mafter and Pilot, and one or more principal
Perfon or Perfons of the Company of every Ship or Veffel by you taken, as foon after the Capture as may
be, to the Judge or Judges of fuch Court as aforefaid, to be examined upon Oath, and make Anfwer to
the Interrogatories which may be propounded, touching the Intereft or Property of the Ship or Veffel and
her Lading; and at the fame Time you fhall deliver or caufe to be delivered to the Judge or Judges, all
Paffes, Sea Briefs, Charter Parties, Bills of Lading, Cockets, Letters, and other Documents and Writings
found on Board, proving the faid Papers, by the Affidavit of yourfelf or of fome other Perfon prefent at the
Capture, to be produced as they were received, without Fraud, Addition, Subduction or Embezzlement.
V.
You fhall keep and preferve every Ship or Veffel and Cargo by you taken until they fhall, by Sentence
of a Court properly authorifed, be adjudged lawful Prize, or acquited-not felling, fpoiling, wafting, or
diminifhing the fame, or breaking the Bulk thereof, nor fuffering any fuch Thing to be done.
VI.
If you, or any of your Officers or Crew, fhall, in cold Blood, kill or maim, or, by Torture or other-
wife, cruelly, inhumanly, and contrary to common Ufage and the Practice of civilized Nations in War,
treat any perfon or Perfons furprized in the Ship or Veffel you fhall take, the Offender fhall be feverely
punifhed.
VII.
You fhall, by all convenient Opportunities, fend to Congrefs written Accounts of the Captures you
fhall make, with the Number and Names of the Captives, Copies of your Journal from Time to Time,
and Intelligence of what may occur or be difcovered concerning the Defigns of the Enemy, and the
Deftinations, Motions and Operations of their Fleets and Armies.
VIII.
One Third, at the leaft, of your whole Company fhall be Land-men
IX.
You fhall not ranforme any Prifoners or Captives, but fhall difpofe of them in fuch Manner as the
Congrefs, or if that be not fitting in the Colony whither they fhall be brought, as the General Affembly,
Convention, or Council or Committee of Safety of fuch Colony fhall direct.
X.
You fhall obferve all fuch further Infructions as Congrefs fhall hereafter give in the Premifes, when
you fhall have Notice thereof.
XI.
If you fhall do any Thing contrary to thefe Inftructions, or to others hereafter to be given, or wil-
lingly fuffer fuch Thing to be done, you fhall not only forfeit your Committion, and be liable to an Ac-
tion for Breach of the Condition of your Bond, but be refponfible to the Party grieved for Damages
fuftained by fuch Malverfation.
By Congress,
John say
PRESIDENT.
FOR