Protection papers facts for kids
Protection papers, also called "Seamen Protection Certificates" or "Sailor's Protection Papers," were special documents given to American sailors from the late 1700s to the mid-1900s. These papers described the sailor and proved they were American citizens. Their main purpose was to stop British ships from forcing American sailors to join the British navy, a practice called impressment. This was a big problem before and during the War of 1812.
To get these papers, sailors first had to pay 25 cents and show proof they were citizens. Later, they only needed a sworn statement from a notary public.
Protection papers were also offered during the American Revolution to people who stayed loyal to the British king. For example, General William Howe offered these papers and a pardon to those who would obey King George III. Many people took this offer. However, Richard Stockton, a leader for American independence, refused. He was captured and treated harshly.
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Seaman's Protection Certificates
In 1796, the United States government passed a law about Seaman's Protection Certificates for sailors working on merchant ships. These were important for protecting American sailors at sea.
Freedom Papers for Black Sailors
These protection papers were also very important for defining who was a free person and a citizen. Many black sailors and other men used them to prove they were free, especially if they were stopped by officials or people looking for runaway slaves. They often called these documents "free papers" because they showed they were not enslaved.
One problem with these papers was that the descriptions of people were sometimes too general. This made it hard to tell if the person holding the paper was truly the one it was issued to.
The famous writer and abolitionist Frederick Douglass used a "protection paper" belonging to a free black sailor to escape slavery. He explained that in Maryland, free black people had to carry "free papers" that described them. He said that these papers sometimes helped slaves escape because more than one person could fit a general description. A slave might borrow or rent papers from a free person, escape to a free state, and then return the papers. This was very risky for both the slave and the free person.
Douglass himself used a sailor's protection paper, even though the description didn't perfectly match him. The paper had an American eagle on it, making it look official. He knew it was a risk, but it helped him gain his freedom.
These protection papers show us how many black men were sailors. By 1800, about 18 out of every 100 American sailors were African American. These certificates helped black sailors claim citizenship, which they were often denied. The records from different ports show varying numbers of black sailors over time. For example, in Philadelphia and Baltimore, about 15% of sailors were African American between 1800 and 1860.
Look at the protection certificate issued on July 12, 1810, in Philadelphia. It belonged to James Forten Dunbar, who was 11 years old. He was described as a "mulatto" (a person of mixed white and black ancestry), 4 feet 7 inches tall, with black hair and a yellow complexion. He had a smallpox scar on his left arm and a dog bite mark on his right leg. James Forten Dunbar was born free in Philadelphia. His uncle, the famous abolitionist and sail-maker James Forten, made sure the paper stated that James was "Born Free." James Forten Dunbar signed the document with an "X" mark, meaning he might not have been able to read or write well. He spent most of his life as a sailor and sail-maker. He served on several naval ships, including the USS Constellation and USS Niagara.
Tattoos as Identification
Many protection certificates were very general, which made it easy for British officers to ignore them. Sometimes, British captains would even tear up an American sailor's protection paper.
To make the papers more specific and harder to fake, people started including descriptions of tattoos. Tattoos are very personal and unique, so they were a good way to identify a sailor. As a result, many certificates listed tattoos, scars, and other specific marks. This might have even led to more American sailors getting tattoos. Tattoos were a clear sign that someone was a sailor, as most other people at the time didn't have them.
The protection certificate issued to Charles Davis on November 4, 1808, in Philadelphia, is a good example. It describes him as an American citizen from Princess Ann County, Virginia. Davis was 23 years old, 5 feet 4 inches tall, with dark hair, hazel eyes, a broad nose, and a round chin. He had pockmarks on his face and scars above his left knee and on his left eyebrow. His tattoos were also listed: on his right arm, he had a crucifix, a double heart with the letters "P. M.," a mermaid, and the letters "C.D." Charles Davis also signed his document with an "X" mark.
The crucifix was a common religious tattoo among sailors. The writer Herman Melville, who was also a sailor, noted that Catholic sailors often had a crucifix tattooed on their arm. This was because if they died in a Catholic country, they would be buried in sacred ground.
In the late 1700s and early 1800s, tattoos were a way for sailors to express themselves and to be identified if they were lost at sea or captured by the British navy. These early "passports" listed tattoos along with birthmarks, scars, race, and height. Sailors often got tattoos on board ships using simple tools and pigments like gunpowder mixed with urine. They would mark their arms and hands with initials, important dates, symbols of sea life, and religious symbols.
End of Protection Papers
Seamen's Protection Certificates were stopped in the 1940s. By then, other ways to identify American sailors had been created. Reports to the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate showed that these papers were no longer needed. As the threat of impressment disappeared, the certificates became more useful as general identification. They were used this way until 1940, when the Continuous Discharge Certificate replaced them. These documents are now important for studying American maritime history.
