52. CHESAPEAKE AFFAIR A fine association D.S. concerning the Chesapeake Affair that sparked the infamous Embargo of 1807. The British attack on the USS Chesapeake on June 22, 1807 and the arrest of four of her crew galvanized public opinion against Great Britain and her policy of searching American ships for deserters from the Royal Navy and contraband destined for France. At President Jefferson's behest, Congress quickly passed the Embargo Act of 1807 in a failed effort to exert economic pressure by denying Great Britain access to American goods. Unfortunately, the measures failed to pressure Great Britain into changing her policy, as this offered document attests, being a manuscript D.S. 2pp. legal folio, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Dec. 2, 1807, a true copy of a case concerning the condemnation of the "Ship United States Jonathan Moore Master...the said ship and Goods laden therein taken and seized by His Majesty's Ship of War Leopard L. P. Humphreys Esquire Commander & brought to Halifax...". It was the HMS Leopard under the command of Captain Humphries that had attacked the Chesapeake only six months before. In this case, the entire ship had been seized, and the court of admiralty rejected both the claims of the owner of the ship and the cargo, and "pronounced against the Claim, and Condemned the said Ship United States and her Cargo (save the private Adventures) as good and lawful Prize to His Majesty...". Partial fold splits, otherwise fine. $400-600