PRESIDENT JAMES MADISON - WHALING SHIPS PAPERS SIGNED 07/24/1816 CO-SIGNED BY: PRESIDENT JAMES MONROE - HFSID 4937

JAMES MADISON and JAMES MONROE
Ships' papers signed by the fourth and fifth U.S. Presidents in the year that Monroe was elected as President.
Whaling Ship's Papers signed: "James Madison" as fourth U.S. President and "Jas Monroe" as Secretary of State, 1p, 10x15¼. Washington, D.C., 1816 July 24. In full: "Suffer the Ship Hero of Boston, Ebenezer Perkins master or commander of the burthen of Four hundred & Seventy three tons or thereabouts mounted with No guns navigated with Seventeen men to Pass with her Company Passengers Goods and Merchandize without any hinderance seisure or molestation the said Brig appearing by good testimony to belong to one or more of the Citizens of the United States and to him or them only." Also signed by an Agent of the District of Penobscot, Massachusetts. On vellum, seal previously affixed at lower left margin has been scratched off. Large "X" has been drawn through the document and a smaller "X" is present at the lower portion. Docketed (unknown hand) on verso. This ship's passport authorized the unarmed ship from Boston to pass unmolested through international waters. These papers were usually signed in Washington and then forwarded to ports for the information to be filled in. Judging from the date on this document, it is possible that Monroe was already President when this document was ready to be issued, so it was no longer valid. With the Treaty of Ghent (signed on December 24, 1814) ending the War of 1812 and the peace treaties arranged by Commodore Stephen Decatur with the leaders of Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli (June 30-August 5, 1815), American ship masters no longer had to fear attacks by the British or Barbary Coast pirates. "President Madison's War", fought primarily over commerce, was over, and Secretary of State James Monroe's election as fifth U.S. President in 1816, less than four months after this document was signed, ushered in the "Era of Good Feeling". Documents with the signatures of two U.S. Presidents are highly desirable. Scalloped upper edge. Lightly creased with folds, vertical fold at the "J" of James and the "r" of Monroe. Small "X" at the "J" of James in Madison's signature. Pinhead-size holes at three places on upper horizontal fold and at crossfolds of lower horizontal fold. Several stray ink blots, two affecting text (all legible). Heavily soiled, primarily at blank areas, lightly soiled at signatures.