Skip to main content

Letter from the Selectmen of Southborough to the Selectmen of the Town of Boston relative to the Embargo, 1808

 File — Multiple Containers

Scope and Contents

In 1808 the Selectmen of the Town of Boston requested that Southborough and many other towns join it in petitioning the president (Thomas Jefferson) of the United States to suspend the Embargo Act of 1807. Southborough’s Selectmen denied this request, despite agreeing that the embargo’s frustration was “universally felt”, and concurring that an embargo on agriculture and commercial activities struck a fatal blow to sources, was oppressive to operations, and an infringement on personal liberties.

The town feared the country’s delicate state and expressed concerns that “should the embargo be removed by the people, [...] the remedy would be worse than the disease”. Rather than risking what they perceived as a possibility for civil unrest or an armed resistment, Southborough’s Selectmen wrote: “We support with patriotic fidelity the laws enacted by our elected government, therefore we patiently and silently endure many evils before a murmur shall be heard from our mouths.”

Includes both the original manuscript (1030-36), and a modern pencil transcription (1030-06).

Dates

  • Creation: 1808

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research. Whenever possible, digital surrogates must be consulted in lieu of the original documents to prevent unneccesary handling and mitigate wear. Research is accommodated by appointment only. Please call (508) 485-0710 x 3005 to make an appointment, or send an email to: [email protected]

Extent

8 Leaves (2 file folders)

Language of Materials

From the Series: English

Preservation Actions

All documents in Box #1030 underwent conservation treatment in January 2017 at the Northeast Document Conservation Center in Andover, MA.

Treatment Summary: Surface soil was reduced using dry cleaning techniques as necessary. The solubility of the inks on twenty-one objects selected for aqueous treatment were tested. The blue"#" and "copied" stamps were removed from 4 objects through the use of organic solvents on the suction table in preparation for washing. Please note: Some of the ink was not solubilized and remains in the paper. The documents were washed in a 30:70 ethanol water combination to reduce acidity, staining and discoloration. Paper patches were removed during the washing procedure. After carefully testing the iron gall ink and confirming the presence of free iron (Fe2+ ), a calcium phytate treatment was performed to stabilize the iron gall ink followed by alkalization with calcium bicarbonate as needed. Treated objects were sized with a 0.5% gelatin solution. Tears and breaks were mended and losses were filled with an appropriate weight Japanese paper and wheat starch paste as needed. Thirty-two objects were humidified and flattened between blotters under moderate pressure as needed. All objects were housed in archival folders and polyester L-sleeves as needed in a 3" archival document box. A spacer was constructed of archival corrugated board to prevent slumping of the documents in the box.

Repository Details

Part of the Southborough Town Clerk’s Office Municipal Archive Repository

Contact:
17 Common Street
Southborough MA 01772 United States
(508) 485-0710