Madison, James, 1751-1836 to David Erskine

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GLC01096.02
GLC#
GLC01096.02-View header record
Type
Letters
Date
March 29, 1807
Author/Creator
Madison, James, 1751-1836
Title
to David Erskine
Pagination
4 p. : Height: 25 cm, Width: 20 cm
Language
English
Primary time period
The New Nation, 1783-1815
Sub-Era
The Age of Jefferson & Madison

Clerical copy of a letter written by Madison to Erskine, the British minister plenipotentiary. The letter was sent to James Monroe, the American minister plenipotentiary, along with GLC01096.01. Secretary of State Madison criticizes tactfully and at length the British order made in Council on January 7, 1807 prohibiting neutral nations from trading with France. Considers the measure too extreme and discusses its consequences for trade and international relations. He stresses that President Jefferson seeks to "cultivate harmony, and beneficial intercourse." The British order was a response to Napoleon's Berlin Decree, and led to the Embargo Act of 1807 (and eventually to the War of 1812).

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