<I>A Memorial to Congress For the request of Lands to aid the construction of the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad.</I>
date: label: Date
content: Written December 6th, 1871
name: label: Written by
content: James D. Lynch
label: Subject of
content: Gulf and Ship Island Railroad Company, American, 1882 - 1925
label: Subject of
content: United States Congress, American, founded 1789
notes: label: Description
content: A typed letter to Congress from Mississippi Secretary of State James D. Lynch.
label: Description
content: Printed in black ink on flax-colored paper, the letter, [A MEMORIAL TO CONGRESS / For the request of Lands to aid the construction of the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad.], addresses the need for a finished rail system connecting the regions from the Mississippi, which by extension would improve the socio-economic status of the state. This letter references the first and second legislated charters of 1850 and 1856, respectively. The Mississippi Congressmen of the Reconstruction era are urged to support the “passage of an act revising the grant of land made to the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad in the year 1856.”
label: Description
content: The letter reads: WHEREAS, The United States did on August 6th, 1856, grant to several railroads, alternate sections / of land lying on the contemplated route, for the purpose of aiding this construction, one of the roads thus sought to be benefited was the GULF AND SHIP ISLAND ROAD, chartered by the Legislature. / The proposed route of this road begins as Mississippi City and terminates at Canton, this State. The grant of land was complied with on condition that the road should be completed within ten years; under this / condition the land so granted lapsed to the United States; owing to the intervention of war between / the States the company was unable to complete the road, this lost the aid contemplated by Con- / gress. The construction of the road would have led to the development of the harbor of Ship Island, / which is one of the best on the line of sea coast south of Norfolk, Virginia. This harbor was occupied by the British fleet during the war of 1812, and was held by the Federal navy during the late war; the / value of this harbor is well known to everyone connected with the maritime department of the United / States. This road would pass through a country abounding in the finest pine forest and capable of sus- / taining a dense population. Without this road the region of counties through which it would pass / must remain comparatively a dense wildernes for generations to come. With this road constructed and / in operation, this country, now so isolated, would fill up with a large population, its wealth of timbers / would become available to the ever increasing demand of lumber, and the agricultural products would / find an easy transit to the commercial marts of the world; therefore, / Be it Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Mississippi, That our Senator and Representatives / in Congress be requested to urge the passage of an act revising the grant of land made to the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad in the year 1856. / Be it further resolved, That the Governor is requested to forward a copy of this memorial to each of / our Senators and Representatives in Congress. / Approved, December 4th, 1871. / Office of Secretary of State, / JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI. / I, JAMES LYNCH, Secretary of State, do certify that the foregoing, entitled “A Joint Resolution memorializing Congress on the subject of aid / by grant of lands to the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad Company,” is a / true and correct copy of the original now on file in this office. / Given under my hand and the Great Seal of the / State hereunto affixed, / this 6th day of December, / 1871. / [signed] James Lynch / Secretary of State.
label: Description
content: On recto are various handwritten inscriptions and the letter is signed, James Lynch. On verso is an illegible handwritten inscription.
place: label: Place depicted
content: Jackson, Mississippi, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: American South
label: Topic
content: Correspondence
label: Topic
content: Government
label: Topic
content: Politics
label: Topic
content: Reconstruction, U.S. History, 1865-1877
label: Topic
content: Transportation
label: Topic
content: Travel
label: Topic
content: Urban planning
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Slavery and Freedom Objects
label: Classification
content: Documents and Manuscripts
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Stanley Turkel's Collection of Reconstruction Era Materials
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2012.160.57
objectType: label: Type
content: letters (correspondence)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: ink on paper (fiber product)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W: 13 1/4 × 8 11/16 in. (33.6 × 22 cm)