1To Benjamin Franklin from the Continental Congress: Commission and Instructions, [28 September 1782] (Franklin Papers)
(I) and (II) Two copies and draft: National Archives The United States in Congress Assembled— To all who shall see these presents send Greeting— It having been represented to Congress by their Minister Plenipoy: at the Court of Versailles, that the King of Sweden has signified by his Ambassador at that Court to our said Minister, his desire to enter into a treaty with the United States in...
2Continental Congress to the American Peace Commissioners: Two Commissions, [15 June 1781] (Franklin Papers)
(I) DS : American Philosophical Society (three); D (draft): National Archives; (II) copies: American Philosophical Society, Library of Congress, Massachusetts Historical Society (three), William L. Clements Library; D (draft): National Archives In late May, 1781, the Austrian and Russian courts, invited by Britain to mediate its war with France and Spain, proposed terms to serve as a basis of...
3Continental Congress to the American Peace Commissioners: Instructions, [15 June 1781] (Franklin Papers)
Copies: Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères, Library of Congress (two), National Archives (two), Massachusetts Historical Society, Charles E. Feinberg, Detroit (1957); L (draft): National Archives; LS : Philip D. Sang, River Forest, Illinois (1959), Massachusetts Historical Society You are hereby authorised and instructed to concur in behalf of these United States with his most...
4To Benjamin Franklin from the Continental Congress: Instructions, [14 August–16 October 1779] (Franklin Papers)
Copies: Library of Congress (two), Massachusetts Historical Society (two), New-York Historical Society; AL (draft): National Archives Much of Congress’ time in 1779 was spent drafting peace ultimata, a task imposed on it by Spain’s offer in April to mediate Britain’s conflicts with the Americans and French. France, which conveyed the offer, used Conrad-Alexandre Gérard, her minister in...
5To Benjamin Franklin from the Continental Congress: Instructions, Plan of an Attack upon Quebec and Observations on the … (Franklin Papers)
(I) LS : American Philosophical Society, Historical Society of Pennsylvania; draft: National Archives; (II) DS : American Philosophical Society; draft: National Archives; (III) DS : American Philosophical Society, South Carolina Historical Society; draft: National Archives; copy: Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères These documents, like Franklin’s letter of credence, were drafted by...
The delegates of the United States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pensylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, to all who shall see these presents send greeting. Whereas a trade upon equal terms between the subjects of his most Christian majesty the king of France and the...
7The Continental Congress: Instructions to Franklin, Silas Deane, and Arthur Lee as Commissioners to France, [24 … (Franklin Papers)
Attested copy: Harvard University Library This document was long in the making. On August 27 Congress expanded the committee that was drafting the proposed treaty of commerce with France, and ordered it to draft also instructions to the commissioners who were to carry the treaty. The committee reported the instructions on September 10. On the 24th, a week after Congress approved the treaty, it...
8Additional Instructions by Congress to Franklin, Deane, and Jefferson, 16 October 1776 (Jefferson Papers)
Additional instructions to B F, S D, and T J, commissioners from the united states of America to the king of France. Whilst you are negotiating the affairs you are charged with at the court of France you will have opportunities of conversing frequen[t]ly with the ministers and agents of other european princes and states residing there. You shall endeavour, when you find occasion fit and...