[American Revolution]: Jett, Thomas:

$1,500 · Offered by William Reese Company · No longer available

[AUTOGRAPH LETTER, SIGNED, FROM THOMAS JETT TO MESSRS. SAMUEL & ROBERT PURVIANCE, REQUESTING $10,000 FROM THE HON. SECRET COMMITTEE OF CONGRESS BE SENT VIA THE BEARER ANDREW ... Successful Leedstown, Virginia, merchant Thomas Jett (1725–1785) served in the Virginia Senate from 1777 to 1778. Prior to the war he was one of the signers of the Leedstown Resolution, a February 1766 document in protest of the Stamp Act, asserting revolutionary ideals a decade prior to the Declaration of Independence.The present document relates to paper money received by the Secret Committee of Congress "to purchase tobacco for shipment abroad as payment for munitions imported from Europe" (Nuxoll & Gallagher). Although Jett indeed purchased the tobacco, he was unable to ship it to Europe due to the British blockade of the Chesapeake. On June 30, 1784, Morris wrote to Jett ordering him to sell the tobacco, the property of the United States, and remit the funds to the Office of Finance.Samuel Purviance and his brother Robert, to whom the note is addressed and who had received the paper currency for Jett from Congress, were successful Baltimore merchants and patriots, who financed privateers during the Revolution and provided supplies to the Continental Army.

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