Lot 740: 1832 Andrew Jackson Signed First US Federal Penitentiary Authorization Document For Washington DC

ANDREW JACKSON (1767-1845). 7th President of the United States (1829–1837); Politician and Army Major General who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend (1814) and the British Army at the Battle of New Orleans (1815). March 13, 1832-Dated Federal Period, Ornate Manuscript Document Signed, “Andrew Jackson” as President, Official Presidential Appointment, 1 page, measuring 10” by 14”, at Washington, Choice Extremely Fine. Highly important, this historical United States Federal Document is regarding the first Federal Prison and its oversight management and is bearing a magnificent “Andrew Jackson” signature as President. Countersigned by “Edw(ard) Livingston” as Secretary of State. Livingston served as a U.S. Representative from Louisiana from 1823 to 1829, a U.S. Senator from 1829 to 1831, and for two years (1831–1833) as United States Secretary of State under President Jackson. Official Signed Presidential Appointment of America’s First Three Federal Penitentiary Inspectors and Overseers. America’s First Federal Penitentiary was opened in 1829. By this Document, President Andrew Jackson makes a historic set of Official Federal Appointments pursuant to: “An Act of Congress passed on the 5th day of March 1829 which is titled: “An Act Concerning the Government and discipline of the Penitentiary in the District of Columbia.” President Jackson Appoints the first three official Federal “Inspectors of the Penitentiary” by name; Thomas Carberry, James Dunlop and William O’Neal. The United States Congress had authorized the land to be purchased just north of the Arsenal on May 26th, 1826 for the building of the first Federal Penitentiary located in the City of Washington, District of Columbia. That Prison facility was constructed and opened for occupancy in 1829. The official Congressional Act reads, in part: “That no person shall be permitted to visit said penitentiary, without written orders from one of the Inspectors (Appointed in this Document), except the President of the United States, the Secretaries of the several Departments of the Government, Members of Congress, and Judges of the Courts of the United States.” It is accompanied with a printed transcript of the official, “ACT concerning the government and discipline of the Penitentiary in the District of Columbia.” This Document is bright, fresh and vividly Handwritten on a special heavy white-wove document paper. Some trivial fold separations are archivally neatly conserved on its blank verso. Overall, a beautiful Document with its original Paper Wafer and Wax Embossed Official Presidential Seal of the United States located at lower left is fully intact and extremely sharp in detail. Slightly below at left is a vivid deep brown signature of “Andrew Jackson” measuring a huge 5.5” long, outstanding in eye appeal for display and of museum quality. (2 items).