Seaman's Protection Certificate for Henry Shapley, Jr., May 13, 1808
Description:
Seaman's protection certificates were provided to sailors as proof of their United States citizenship, and were intended to help protect American sailors from the British practice of impressment, or the seizing of seamen for service in the Royal Navy. This pre-printed seaman's protection certificate for Henry Shapley, Jr. is dated May 13,1808 and signed by Joseph Whipple, Customs Collector of the District of Portsmouth, State of New Hampshire. Shapley, from Gosport, New Hampshire, was a 40-year-old American seaman, 5 feet 5 3/8 inches tall, with a dark complexion, dark colored hair, and grey eyes.