Thomas Jefferson Free Frank as President Addressed to a Town in New Hampshire

In 1807, Britain prohibited trade between neutral parties and its great foe, France. The British also began seizing American ships and demanding that all American vessels had to check in at British ports before they could trade with any other nation. Along with their attempts to control trade, the British also tried to satisfy their need for sailors at America’s expense. Britain claimed the right to board American ships and take into custody men who were thought to be deserters from the Royal Navy. U.S. government saw their actions as clear cases of impressment, the seizure of innocent men for forced service in a foreign navy. Shockingly, some ten thousand men were captured from American ships in this era.

The issues between Britain and the U.S. reached a climax on June 22, 1807, with the Chesapeake-Leopard affair. The American ship Chesapeake had just left Norfolk, Virginia, when it was stopped by the British warship Leopard. The Leopard fired on the Chesapeake, killing three Americans and injuring 18. The British boarded the Chesapeake and seized four men, only one of whom was actually British. America’s neutrality and basic rights as an independent nation were clearly being violated, and something needed to be done about it. Jefferson didn’t want war, but he was willing to take economic measures. He hoped that an embargo would hit the British and French where it would hurt them the most, in the pocketbook.

And so in December 1807 Congress passed and Jefferson signed the Embargo Act. It prevented all U.S. ships and vessels from obtaining clearance to undertake voyages to foreign ports or places. That meant that no needed Americans goods or supplies could reach the belligerents, and also represented an escalation of attempts to coerce Britain and France to stop harassment of American ships, respect American sovereignty and neutrality, as well as to pressure Britain to halt impressment of American sailors. But its main impact was to bring American international trade to a standstill. The embargo undermined American prosperity and provoked bitter protests, particularly in New England commercial centers which were very hard hit. A number of towns there sent their formal protests to President Jefferson, who responded by having a circular letter prepared for his signature, and sending them in response to the towns.

Free frank signed as President, “Th. Jefferson, Pr. US”, with the address panel addressing the letter to Thomas Burns of the town of Gilmanton, New Hampshire. The letter was dated September 23, 1808, as must this free frank be.