MONROE LETTER
AIRED: Season 6, Episode 10
THE DETECTIVE: Gwen Wright
THE PLACE: Newport, Rhode Island and Charlottesville and Fredricksburg, Virginia
THE CASE:
A Florida woman recently inherited a family mystery. In her late mother's belongings, she stumbled on a framed letter allegedly penned by future President James Monroe in 1807.
Our contributor has recognized a family name “Manwaring” scrawled near the date, and believes the letter references a monetary debt the financially unstable U.S. Government owed the Manwaring family.
The document leads to a tale of terror on the high seas, when American merchant ships were stalked by Britain, their cargo pillaged and their crews forced into the British Navy to fight against France.
Young America was desperate to avoid war, and James Monroe, then Minister to Britain, attempted to mediate with his pen.
History Detectives tracks a conflict that nearly bankrupted America.
Feature: British Navy Impressment
Prior to conscription Britain practiced a cruel but effective way of combating the manpower shortage in their navy.
Think you have a case for the History Detectives? Send us your mystery here. 