MSS 763 Great Britain Consulate Records

              - MSS 763 H I S T O R Y Great Britain. consulate
( United States) Records
Collection Synopsis
Provenance: The Ohio Historical Society acquired the Great
Britain. Consulate ( United States) Records from Andrew Reed
in February 1944. Marjorie J. Myers processed the collection
in April 1982.
Property rights: The Ohio Historical Society owns the property
rights to this collection.
Copyrights: Copyrights have n- ot been dedicated to the public.
Consideration of the requirements of copyright is the responsi-bility
of the author and publisher.
Access: This collection is open under the rules and regulations
of the Ohio Historical Society.
Citation: Researchers are requested to cite collection name,
collection number, and the Ohio Historical Society in all foot-note
and bibliographic references.
Hlstorlcal sketch: Researchers are advised to consult standard
reference sources and the printed materlal card catalog for
background information on the War of 1812.
Scope and content: The Great Britain. Consulate ( U. S.) records
consist of holograph copies of original material dated 1797 to
1818. The copies occupy one cubic foot and record official con-sular
dispatches and scattered miscellaneous information concern-ing
the War of 1812. The consular dispatches presumably are those
retained at the British Museum in London. The original book and
dispatch number are recorded in the upper left corner and the pages
are numbered consecutively within each book. Enclosures are so
designated, but the reports are by no means the complete record
which exists. It is not known for whom the copies were made.
The dispatches, sent by diplomats stationed at various cities in
the U. S., transmit news of the political and military situation
in America. They also convey official messages from one govern-ment
to the other and illustrate the consuls' intermediary role
during the growing hostilities. Early dispatches concern use
of Indians to recapture Florida, protests over British naval
aggression, and imposition of the 1807 embargo. Letters between
Rufus King and John Anstey record negotiations in 1800 and 1801
over the treaty of amity, but do not contain book and dispatch
numbers. Reports from the war years include intercepted French
papers, transcribed in French, and details of the treaty negotia-tions
in Europe. Later reports highlight renewed trade between
the two countries and the dispatches end with receipt of the final
report on the Treaty of Ghent. Dispatch numbers and dates are
recorded in the following collection inventory.
ONlO BlSTORlCAL SOCIETY
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