Webster-Ashburton Treaty Ratification

What it is

This is an official document headed 'John Tyler, President of the United States of America, To all and singular who shall see these presents Greeting.' It describes the treaty signed on August 9, 1842, and bears John Tyler's signature, Daniel Webster's signature as Secretary of State, and a gray embossed seal at the lower left. The image in the record is a scan of the handwritten page, not the original paper itself.

Why it matters

A ratification is the formal step that makes a treaty binding for the nation. This record shows that the president, Tyler, and his Secretary of State, Webster, put their names to the agreement on the government's behalf. It connects Tyler directly to the border settlement with Britain and shows how the executive branch carried out foreign policy in 1842.

Look closer

• Whose names appear on the document, and what does each signature tell you about the job that person held?
• What does the phrase 'To all and singular who shall see these presents' suggest about who the document was meant to reach?
• What does the seal add to the document, and what would a reader lose without it?