Bonds of Marque, 1777

About This Collection

Images of a record of the contracts for men commissioned as privateers to capture British ships and cargos for the Continental Congress. Each contract is preprinted with appropriate information filled in. This kind of information includes, date of contract, names of the privateer commissioned, name of the commander of the vessel, type of vessel, name of vessel, name of the owner of the vessel and from where he originated, what kind of guns the vessel carried, number of crew members and the penalty charge to the privateer if the contract were broken. Also contained with this record are a few handwritten applications by persons wishing to be commissioned by the Continental Congress as privateers, followed by their printed contract.