Spanish New Orleans Passport 1799
Spanish Passport
Transcription in Spanish:
Don Nicolas Maria Vidal, Chaves, Echavarri de Madrigal y Valdes. Teniente gobernador y audito de Guerra de las Provincias de Louisiana y Florida. Occidental, gobernador politico interno de ellas dice Patrono Real y Juez subdelegado de la Real Renta de Correos por fM.
Concedo libre y seguro pasaporte a Samuel Salomon para que en el Berhantin Union su capitan Miles Burke pueda pasar a Nueve York; presentan de su Espionage en la Adm. On de R. Ron.
Dado en la Nueva Orleans a treinta de octubre de mil setecientos noventa y nueve
-Nicolas M. Vidal
Transcription in English:
Nicolas Maria Vidal, Chaves, Echavarri de Madrigal y Valdes. You have governor and auditor of the War of the Provinces of Louisiana and Florida. Western, internal political governor of the them says the real saint and system representative of the real rent of the mail for her majesty.
I give free and safe passport to Samuel Salomon for that in the Bergantin Union your captain Miles Burke is able to pass through New York; they present your espionage en the admiral of (R. Ron)
I give this in New Orleans on the 30th of October of 1799.
-Nicolas M. Vidal
Basic Idea of the Document:
Samuel Salomon, who was an American or possibly an English-man, was given permission by Nicolas M. Vidal to travel through New Orleans into New York. Because New Orleans was owned by Spain at the time a passport would have been required in order to travel through this area. Vidal is granting special permission to Salomon to travel through this area.
About Nicolas M. Vidal:
After the death of governor Gayoso on July 18th, 1799, Vidal becomes an acting civil governor of Lousiana. Vidal then becomes the colonies main judge advocate and lieutenant governor. His background in Columbia and the corruption of the reign of Carlos IV and his first secretary Godoy, as well as the factionalism in the Cabildo contribute to the decline of Louisiana at the end of the Spanish era. Vidal refuses to enforce a list of rules that an intendent by the name of Juan Ventura Morales has created, which concerns the intendents power to grant land, which begins the issue in the Spanish government when Vidal takes over.
Auditor de Guerra (Auditor of the war):
During this time a system of administration was still in place for the Spanish government up until the War of the Spanish Succession. A treaty in 1713 was installed the House of Bourbon on the throne of Madrid. All through the 18th century Spanish possessions were divided and as populations grew the number of political divisions also grew. At the height of the organization of the Spanish they had four Viceroyalties which were Spain, New Granada, Buenos Aires, and Peru, along with eight Captaincies-General which were Guatemala, San Domingo, Cuba, Chile, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, the Philippines and Louisiana which included Florida. These divisions helped to provide an “easier road” to independence in the early 19th century. These captain-generals as discussed in the document were the men who controlled a division, which may have been the reason why the document was telling Nicolas to also inform his “captain” that he also had permission.
Bergantin Union:
The Bergantin Union is a ship of about 40 meters in length. These boats were used during the 18th and 19th century as a merchant ad warships light, and served very well as coast guards. Many of the ships were used for trading but they were equipped as warships by traders, so that they were easily able to capture their enemy.
Tags: 1700s, Documents, Foreign Language