Details:

Robert R. Livingston autograph letter signed, “Rob R. Livingston,” one page, 7.25 x 9.5 in., Paris, September 30, 1803, written just months after the completion of the Louisiana Purchase. Addressed to a commercial associate in Bordeaux, the letter concerns the forwarding of correspondence to the United States, postal arrangements, and Livingston’s residence in Paris.

Livingston writes that he is forwarding letters through a trusted intermediary while requesting that future correspondence be sent by the first available opportunity to the United States. He advises that letters destined for him may be delivered through a contact in Philadelphia to avoid excessive postage charges, noting that future correspondence should be directed to his residence at the Hôtel Montholon, No. 53 Rue du Boulevard de Montmartre, Paris.

Overall very good condition with expected horizontal and vertical mailing folds, scattered light age toning, remnants of the original red wax seal on the integral address leaf, and minor edge wear.

Robert R. Livingston (1746-1813) was one of the foremost statesmen of the founding generation. A member of the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence, he administered the presidential oath of office to George Washington at his first inauguration in 1789. Appointed United States Minister to France by President Thomas Jefferson, Livingston negotiated the Louisiana Purchase alongside James Monroe in 1803, doubling the size of the United States in one of the most significant diplomatic achievements in American history. This letter was written during Livingston’s diplomatic service in Paris, only months after the successful conclusion of the Louisiana Purchase negotiations, placing it within one of the most consequential periods of his public career.

Authentication:
Includes a full letter of authenticity from JG Autographs, Inc.

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Reference sku: 11695 1417054-1