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At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Monroe, James (1758-1831) Additional Instruction to the public and private armed vessels of the United States

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC04675.03 Author/Creator: Monroe, James (1758-1831) Place Written: Washington, D.C. Type: Document signed Date: 28 August 1812 Pagination: 1 p. ; 25 x 20 cm. Order a Copy

Printed letter signed by Secretary of State James Monroe. Orders that public and private armed vessels are not to stop American merchant ships coming from British ports with British goods because of the "alledged" repeal of the British Orders in Council. Asks that merchant ships be assisted and says that cargoes can be dealt with on arrival. The Orders in Council were repealed on 16 June 1812, two days before Congress declared war. The news arrived too late to influence events.

Monroe, James, 1758-1831

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