Newly discovered documents signed by President James Madison and Secretary of State James Monroe, extensive correspondence, as well as an unpublished privateer’s capture log, are among those that shed light on American privateering and shipping before and during the War of 1812
The Raab Collection has discovered and acquired an archive of more than a hundred historical documents from the heirs of Benjamin Crowninshield, an early American merchant and privateer who was appointed Secretary of the Navy by President James Madison. This rich trove of unpublished documentation spans generations of the Crowninshields, one of the “Boston Brahmins,” a prominent political family for decades. It was not known to have survived and has never before been offered for sale.
The Shipping Industry at the Turn of the 19th Century
In the 30 years between the Revolution and the War of 1812, Salem, Massachusetts, was a powerhouse of world commerce. The firm of George Crowninshield and Sons was at the forefront of this trade, traveling from Salem to what were then exotic places, including Yemen and India.
1805: “We must dispatch our ships away as fast as possible or our next years work will not be as profitable as the last…. We have letters from Commander Preble and they are in the print. They have all the details of the different engagements before Tripoli. The president has given the highest praise to the Commander’s conduct throughout.”
This family archive runs more than 70 documents, approximately 200 pages, among which are nearly 30 letters from early to mid 1805 written to Richard Crowninshield, primarily from his brother Jacob Crowninshield, then a Congressman. These detailed letters shed light on the finances and logistics of running an international shipping business in early America, as well as Congressional goings-on.
Privateering During the War of 1812
During the War of 1812, sea captains and shipping firms were commissioned as privateers by the U.S. government. During wartime American privateers played a significant role in disrupting British maritime commerce and bolstering the American economy. Privateers often used fast-sailing schooners and sloops to attack and capture British merchant vessels and bring home valuable prizes.
Due to its prominence in this arena, the Crowninshield family became involved in privateering, as this signed commission (above) attests. Dated July 25, 1812 and signed by both James Madison as President and James Monroe as Secretary of State, this document authorizes the Crowninshields’ ship named John for the purpose of privateering and specifically mentions the ship and three of the Crowninshields by name. Benjamin Crowninshield specifically “is further authorized to detain, seize and take all vessels and effects.”
Crowninshield did not hesitate in this duty, taking the ship John out almost immediately and becoming one of the very first ships to bring into port captured vessels under the new terms of the Privateers Act.
This unpublished and heretofore unknown privateer capture log (above) documents that haul in remarkable detail, measuring 20 pages of dense text listing seized vessels, cargo, and prisoners. The manuscript covers August 4 to August 22, 1812 and is likely in the hand of one of the Crowninshield brothers or their partners. It is an extraordinary survival.
In the year following, Benjamin Crowninshield was again commissioned to resume his work as a privateer, this time with his great ship Alexander, considered “the fastest sailing privateer out of the United States.” He is authorized to “subdue, seize and take any armed or unarmed British vessel, public or private, which shall be found within the jurisdictional limits of the United States or elsewhere on the high seas.”
Fascinatingly, this commission, signed by President Madison and Secretary of State Monroe (above), is still accompanied by the original letter of instruction from some of the owners of the ship Alexander to Benjamin Crowninshield as ship’s captain. It is the first time we at Raab have ever seen a privateer’s letter of instruction from the War of 1812, and it is filled with interesting details about prizes, prisoners, ports, and practices allowed and disallowed.
The Crowninshield Family
The Crowninshield family’s prominence extended from shipbuilding and merchant shipping to political and military leadership. The patriarch, George Crowninshield (1734–1815), was a sea captain and merchant who established the family firm. His son Benjamin (1772-1851) likewise began his professional life in the maritime trade. In 1811, however, he left private business for public service, spending one year in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and another with the state senate. Despite having relatively little political experience, Crowninshield ascended to President James Madison’s cabinet in 1815 as Secretary of Navy and remained in that post when James Monroe succeeded Madison as President in 1817. He left Monroe’s cabinet in 1818 and resumed his political career in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the U.S. Congress.
Benjamin’s brother Jacob had represented the state of Massachusetts in Congress, but died young. His brother George Jr. owned the first yacht to cross the Atlantic. During the War of 1812, Benjamin and George Jr. offered three vessels to the U.S. government for service as privateers. These were the ship John, the sloop Jefferson, and the ship America. They were also involved with other privateers where they had an ownership interest, such as the Alexander, where there were 19 owners, including George Crowninshield.
