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1776 JOHN HANCOCK Continental Congress BRITISH SHIPS CAPTURE ACT Document Signed for Sale - Soviet-Awards.com

1776 JOHN HANCOCK Continental Congress BRITISH SHIPS CAPTURE ACT Document Signed For Sale

1776 JOHN HANCOCK Continental Congress BRITISH SHIPS CAPTURE ACT Document Signed
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1776 JOHN HANCOCK Continental Congress BRITISH SHIPS CAPTURE ACT Document Signed:
$15000.00

RARE original 1776 JOHN HANCOCK (1736-1793,) Document Signed as President of the Continental Congress, dated Wednesday, April 3, 1776. One broadside page, folio (12 3/4\" X 7 3/4\"), with a bold signature measuring 3 1/2\" in dark brown ink. IN NEAR FINE CONDITION!

This congressional document \"INSTRUCTIONS TO THE COMMANDERS OF PRIVATE SHIPS OR VESSELS OF WAR, WHICH SHALL HAVE COMMISSIONS OR LETTERS OF MARQUE AND REPRISAL, AUTHORIZING THEM TO MAKE CAPTURES OF BRITISH VESSELS AND CARGOES\" containing eleven articles, authorizing privateering vessels to capture or attack British ships during the American Revolution. .

To help in the fight against the British Navy, Congress and several states authorized privately owned merchant vessels to combat and capture British owned naval or merchant vessels. This practice was called \"privateering\" because the vessels were privately owned. Privateering was essentially the same as piracy, but privateers were not considered pirates by the authorizing nation. Privateering vessels would be outfitted with guns and cannons by their owners and could capture vessels flying an enemy flag. Privateers were issued a \"Letter of Marque and Reprisal\" which authorized them to engage in privateering. After an enemy vessel was captured, the vessel was brought to an American port and presented to a judge who would look over the Letter and see that the capture had been handled according to the law. If all was well, the spoils captured on the ship were sold and the proceeds split between the ship\'s owners and crew, with a small percentage going to the American government as well. The splitting of the spoils in such a capture made privateering quite lucrative, so lucrative in fact that sailors were much more likely to want to serve on a privateer than on a ship run by the Continental Navy.

The document has a 1/4\" tear along the lower edge with VERY slight affect to the embellishment of the Hancock signature only, and a small separation along a fold, each has been archivally-closed on the verso. This document also has a couple of faint foxing stains with no affect to the signature. We unconditionally warrant, without time limit, the authenticity of this 1776 John Hancock document. We have been dealing in historical newspapers and fine documents since 1974 DBA \"Historical Newspapers and Journals\". 10 day return privilege. Item will be carefully protected in flat cardboard packaging. Buyer pays priority post. Illinois residents add 10.25% sales tax.



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