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1794 Broadside - President George Washington Act Protects Ports+Harbors

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:1,500.00 USD Estimated At:2,400.00 - 2,800.00 USD
1794 Broadside - President George Washington Act Protects Ports+Harbors
Federal Period
President George Washington Protects United States Ports & Harbors Official Congressional Broadside Act of 1794
March 20, 1794-Dated, Official Third Congressional Printed Broadside, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pertaining to “An Act to Provide for the Defence of Certain Ports and Harbors in the United States..,” Approved as ordered and Signed in print by President George Washington, Choice Crisp Mint.
This is an original, 13.5” x 8” never folded, Official Congressional Broadside, is dated as being “Approved - March 20, 1794,” by George Washington, also with Frederick Muhlenberg, Speaker of the House or Representatives and John Adams, Vice-President of the U.S. and President of the Senate.

This rare and historic Act, is in direct response to continuing provocation from both England and France, orders fortification of specified ports and harbors, from Portland to Maine, to Savannah and Saint Marys in Georgia; permits the President to employ military troops in order to do so; and provides for necessary cannon and implements. This historic document reads, in part:

“Section 1 ... That the following Posts and harbors be fortified under the direction of the President of the United States... (Including with abbreviations) - Portland, Maine; Portsmouth, NH; Gloucester, Salem, Marblehead and Boston, MA; Newport, RI; New London, CT; New York; Philadelphia; Wilmington, DE; Baltimore, MD; Norfolk and Alexandria, VA; Cape Fear River and Ocracock Inlet, NC; Charleston and Georgetown, SC; and Savannah and Saint Mary’s, GA.”

“Section 2. ... That it shall be lawful for the President of the United States to employ, as garrisons in the said fortifications, or any of them, such of the troops on the military establishment of the United States, as he may judge necessary; and to cause to be provided one hundred cannon, of a caliber each to carry a ball of thirty two pounds weight, and one hundred cannon, other cannon, of a caliber each to carry a ball of twenty four pounds weight, together with the carriages and implements necessary for the same, and carriages with the necessary implements for one hundred and fifty other cannon, with two hundred and fifty tons of cannon-shot.”

“Section 3. ... That is shall be lawful for the President of the United States to receive from any State (in behalf of the United States) a cession of the lands, on which any of the fortifications aforesaid, with the necessary buildings, may be erected...”

Boldly and well printed in deep black on very clean, fine quality period laid paper which has never even been folded. This is an incredibly important and historic document related to the policies and fortification of the United States, in that turbulent Post-Revolutionary War period of the fledgling Republic.