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SIR WILLIAM SIDNEY SMITH Anti-Slavery Letter

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Autographs

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(SLAVERY), SIR WILLIAM SIDNEY SMITH, 1826 Autographed Signed Letter by Anti-Slavery British Admiral, Choice Extremely Fine.
British Admiral and Anti-slavery advocate Sir William Sidney Smith wrote this 8-page letter, dated June 15, (1826), from Versailles, France, to M.A. Chevalier Jullien, regarding various topics, including anti-slavery, European civilization, Napoleon at Elba, and more. The letter is written entirely in French, and is signed "W. Sidney Smith", who was knighted for his heroism in battle against Napoleon in 1799 and for other service during the early 1800s. This letter simply must be seen!

Sir Sidney Smith (1764-1840), noted British Admiral, entered the navy in 1777 and saw action in the American War. While plenipotentiary at Constantinople, in 1799 went to the relief of Saint-Jean d' Acre (3 March-8 May) and heroically repulsed Napoleon. After 1814 Smith took up the anti-slavery cause because Barbary pirates had operated for centuries out of North African ports. They had enslaved captured sailors and even made raids to kidnap people from European coasts, including England and Ireland. Smith attended the Congress of Vienna to campaign for funds and military action to end the practice of slave taking.

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