President James Madison Signs a Passport For a Ship That Was Seized by Both the French and Spanish in the Years Leading Up to the War of 1812

In the years leading up to the War of 1812, the British were not the only ones seizing American ships and cargoes on the high seas. The French and Spanish also engaged in these practices. The Brig Ann and Mary was an active merchant ship that plied international waters, often traveling from the United States to Europe in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. To illustrate the severity of the problem, and the impact on U.S. trade, this one ship, the Brig Ann and Mary, was seized by both the French and Spanish in the period 1801-1806.

But with so much at stake, this did not prevent the Ann and Mary from leaving port. In the early years of the Republic, when American vessels engaged in foreign trade left the United States, they carried passports with them. These were large, impressive documents and contained their text written in four languages – English, Spanish, French and Dutch. The president and secretary of state both signed them. Document signed, Washington, December 4, 1809, being the ship’s passport for the Brig Ann and Mary, John Mallory, Captain, lying at Baltimore, Md., “of the burthen of 184 tons or thereabouts”, laden with “flour and staves”, and bound for Madeira. The Great Seal of the United States is intact, and the document is countersigned by Secretary of State Robert S. Smith. Baltimore Port Collector James H. McCullough has also added his authorization. Mallory had been the captain during the Spanish seizure, so he knew the risks involved.