{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/2/context.json","@type":"sc:Manifest","@id":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/ncdcr/iiif/74cf5df6-3015-4b92-8f12-41b9150b44e5/manifest","label":"VC_22_John_Hancock_signature","metadata":[{"label":"Title","value":"Letter of Marque issued to \"Northampton\""},{"label":"Digital Collections","value":["Treasures"]},{"label":"Identifier","value":"VC_22_John_Hancock_signature"},{"label":"Digital Format","value":["image/jpg"]},{"label":"URL","value":"http://digitalstatelibnc.cdmhost.com/u?/p15012coll11,103"},{"label":"Hosted By","value":["State Archives of North Carolina"]},{"label":"Repository","value":"State Archives of North Carolina"},{"label":"Type","value":["Text"]},{"label":"Local Call Number","value":"VC.22"},{"label":"Source","value":"Vault Collection. State Archives of North Carolina"},{"label":"Language","value":["English"]},{"label":"Creator","value":["United States. Continental Congress."]},{"label":"Contributor","value":["Hancock, John, 1737-1793."]},{"label":"Date","value":"D:24 M:10 Y:1776"},{"label":"Subject","value":["United States. Navy--History--Revolution, 1775-1783","United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783"]},{"label":"Index Terms","value":"Powell, James| United States. Continental Congress"},{"label":"Place","value":["United States"]},{"label":"Time Period","value":["(1763-1789) American Revolution"]},{"label":"Description","value":"This Letter of Marque was issued by the Continental Congress on October 24, 1776, to James Powell, commander of the 3-ton schooner, Northampton. It is signed by John Hancock, president of the Congress.  A letter of Marque and Reprisal commissioned a privately owned vessel as a privateer in the service of its country.  It granted to the commander the right during times of war to fit out with arms in order to plunder or to capture the enemy's ships.  Shortly after the outbreak of the American Revolution in April 1775, the Provincial Congress, forerunner of the Continental Congress, authorized the Colonies to \"at your own expense, make such provisions by armed vessels for the protection of your harbors and navigation...\", thereby allowing the colonies to grant Letters of Marque to private ships. Without this protection, the commanders and crews of these ships would be treated as pirates if caught. By April of 1776, the Continental Congress issued its own commissions, including strict rules about prizes, prisoners, and reporting. Congress also required that one-third of the crew be landsmen-possibly to protect the fledgling navy from losing too many enlistees to privateering. When the bearers of the Letters of Marque sold their prizes, some of the profit went to Congress. During the Revolution, both sides freely commissioned privateers. Despite having a large public navy in place, Britain was thought to have employed almost as many such vessels as did the colonists."},{"label":"Digital Characteristics","value":"1 page"},{"label":"Format","value":["Correspondence"]},{"label":"Rights","value":"All rights held by the State Archives of NC. Permission to publish must be obtained from the registrar in writing."},{"label":"Source Collections","value":["Vault Collection. State Archives of North Carolina"]},{"label":"Subjects-Treasures","value":["United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783","United States. Navy--History--Revolution, 1775-1783"]}],"description":"Letter of Marque issued to \"Northampton\"","sequences":[{"@type":"sc:Sequence","canvases":[{"@id":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/ncdcr/iiif/74cf5df6-3015-4b92-8f12-41b9150b44e5/canvas/_1","@type":"sc:Canvas","label":"LetterOfMarqueJohnHancock1776","height":743,"width":1200,"images":[{"@type":"oa:Annotation","motivation":"sc:painting","resource":{"@id":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/ncdcr/iiif/844a7d42-498b-4ce6-9e95-efa5e1df17f0/full/full/0/default.jpg","@type":"dctypes:Image","format":"image/jp2","service":{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/image/2/context.json","@id":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/ncdcr/iiif/844a7d42-498b-4ce6-9e95-efa5e1df17f0","profile":"http://iiif.io/api/image/2/level2.json","tiles":[{"width":512,"scaleFactors":[1,2,4]}]},"height":743,"width":1200},"on":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/ncdcr/iiif/74cf5df6-3015-4b92-8f12-41b9150b44e5/canvas/_1","metadata":[]}],"thumbnail":{"@id":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/ncdcr/iiif/844a7d42-498b-4ce6-9e95-efa5e1df17f0/full/500,500/0/default.jpg","@type":"dctypes:Image","height":500,"width":500}}]}],"thumbnail":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/ncdcr/iiif/844a7d42-498b-4ce6-9e95-efa5e1df17f0/full/300,300/0/default.jpg","logo":"https://iiif.quartexcollections.com/ncdcr/iiif/logo"}