1The American Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 23 December 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères We beg Leave to acquaint your Excellency, that we are appointed and fully impowered by the Congress of the United States of America, to propose and negotiate a Treaty of Amity and Commerce between France and the said States. The just and generous Treatment their Trading Ships have received, by a free Admission into the Ports of this Kingdom,...
2The American Commissioners to [the Comte de Vergennes], 4 December 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères We have the Honour to acquaint your Excellency that we have just receiv’d an Express from Boston, in 30 Days, with Advice of the total Reduction of the Force under General Burgoyne, himself and his whole Army having surrendered themselves Prisoners. General Gates was about to send Reinforcements to Gen. Washington, who was near Philadelphia...
3The American Commissioners to the Comte de Vergennes, 7 May 1777 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (draft) and copy: Harvard University Library The Commissioners from the United States of America desire to represent to his Excellency the Count de Vergennes, that they have received Intelligence of a Vessel belonging to the States having been taken by the Culloden, an English Ship of War, close on the Coast of France; and that the same...
4The American Commissioners to Vergennes, 18 March 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Archivo Historico Nacional On March 14 the commissioners received their first dispatches from America. Among them was the letter above of December 30 from the committee of secret correspondence, enclosing the Congressional authorization to offer Versailles territorial inducements to enter the war. Deane promptly informed Vergennes that...
5The American Commissioners to Vergennes, [26 June 1777] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères To his Excellency the Count de Vergennes, Minister for Foreign Affairs We the underwritten, Commissioners from the Congress of the United States of N. America, beg leave to represent to your Excellency, that Captain Burnel, Commander of an armed Vessel commissioned by the said States, did lately take Refuge in the Port of Cherburgh with his...
6The American Commissioners: Memorandum for Vergennes, 1 March 1777 (Franklin Papers)
AD : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères In the several Memoires which Mr: Deane had the honor of presenting previous to the arrival of his Colleagues, the history of the dispute between the United States of America and Great Brittain was brought down to the Time of presenting the Memoires, the situation and resources of the United States justly stated; and Conjectures as to the...
7The American Commissioners: Memorandum to Vergennes, 1 February 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ADS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Harvard University Library This memorandum, most of it in Franklin’s hand, marks a distinct departure from the position that he generally maintained. He “was from the first averse to warm and urgent solicitations with the Court of France,” Silas Deane remarked years later. “His age and experience, as well as his philosophical temper,...
8The American Commissioners: Memorandum [for Vergennes], [12 March 1777] (Franklin Papers)
AD : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères While Great Brittain engross’d the Commerce of the United States, merchandize imported from thence into France was considered as British, and Consequently subject to the same duties, Customs &c, as if imported direct from the Islands of Great Brittain or Ireland. Since the separation of those States from Brittain it is presumed their...
9The American Commissioners to Vergennes, 12 August 1777 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; copy: Harvard University Library After Wickes’s squadron was sequestered on July 15 and Conyngham sailed from Dunkirk two days later, the commissioners’ relations with Versailles might have been expected to improve. Instead they grew worse, largely because Conyngham disobeyed his orders and took prizes. When one was recaptured, and most of...
10The American Commissioners: Memorandum for Vergennes, [24 February 1777] (Franklin Papers)
D : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères We have ordered no Prizes into the Ports of France, nor do we know of any that have entered, for any other purpose than to provide themselves with necessaries untill they could sail for America, or some Port in Europe, for a Market. We were informed this was not inconsistent with the Treaty between France and Great Brittain, and that it would...