Hancock, John (1737-1793) to William Smallwood
High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC06502 Author/Creator: Hancock, John (1737-1793) Place Written: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Type: Letter signed Date: 1 February 1777 Pagination: 2 p. : address ; 32.3 x 20.5 cm. Order a Copy
Communicates to General Smallwood a resolution by the Continental Congress in response to a petition from citizens in Somerset and Worcester counties in Maryland. The resolution orders Smallwood to help "suppress the Tories in the counties of Somerset and Worcester, and to seize and secure the persons mentioned in a list to be transmitted." The loyalists would then be required to submit to a loyalty oath and some would be put on trial. Signed as President of Congress. Written "In Congress."
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.