An appeal to Spain to join the United States in their war against Great Britain, 1776.


HANCOCK, JOHN. 1737-1793; AND CHARLES THOMSON. 1729-1824. Autographed Congressional Resolution in the hand of Charles Thomson, signed "John Hancock Presid," and "Attest Cha Thomson Sec.y," 8vo, bifolia written on first recto, dated "In Congress [Philadelphia], 30 December 1776," the double leaf separated at fold, some water-staining and marginal tears to both leaves, some cracks along old fold lines, a few letters affected by cracking.In part: "Resolved. That the commissioners for the Courts of France and Spain consult together and prepare a Treaty of Commerce and Alliance, as near as may be ... to the one proposed for the court of France ... that if his Catholic Majesty will join with the United States in a war against Great Britain, they will assist in reducing to the possession of Spain the town and harbour of Pensacola, provided ... the United States shall have free and uninterrupted navigation of the Mississippi and the use of the harbour of Pensacola."An important resolution passed by Congress with John Hancock as President residing. On the same day, Congress also passed a resolution to send commissioners to the Courts of Vienna (Hapsburg Court) and to the Grand Duke of Tuscany to create treaties of Commerce. The conclusion of a treaty with Spain would have been a useful aid to the Revolutionary War, just as France agreed to side with the US against their old enemy Britain. In reality Spain did agree to help the Revolutionary cause, so as to acquire territories lost to the British after the French and Indian Wars. It was not in the form of ships and soldiers which the French provided, but rather financial aid. Both France and Spain provided extensive loans and outright contributions to the fledgling state, both supporting the new currency "the continental," and also allowing them to hire foreign military officers such as Pulaski, Kosciuszko, and von Steuben. They used a fictitious private trading company operating out of the Lesser Antilles, Roderique Hortalez and Co, to launder the money through to the United States.