Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Court of Commissioners of Alabama Claims Rules of the court of commissioners of Alabama claims

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.

A high-resolution version of this object is available for registered users. LOG IN

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00267.222 Author/Creator: Court of Commissioners of Alabama Claims Place Written: Washington, D.C. Type: Pamphlet Date: 1882 Pagination: 47 p. ; 23 x 15 cm. Order a Copy

Printed rules established for the court overseeing the "Alabama Claims," as well as the law that created this court. Also includes the treaty with Britain and subsequent arbitration that preceded this court. During the Civil War, British firms produced a number of ships to be used by the Confederates as commercial raiders, the most famous of which was called the Alabama. Because the British were supposed to be neutral during the war, the United States demanded compensation for the damage done by these British made ships. The countries signed a treaty agreeing to take their dispute to arbitration, and the United States was awarded fifteen million dollars. The Court set up in this document was intended to use federal funds to repay individuals who had suffered losses due to commercial raids by the British built ships. Printed by the National Republican Printing House.

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources