With every result, you will find a transcript, a typed document of all the vital information found in the original documents. Each transcript will include a combination of the following facts. Not all transcripts will include a physical description of the seaman.
Name
Age
Birth year
Birth place
Birth county or state
Birth country
Year
Date issues
Certificate number
Customs district
Customs location
Complexion
Height
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The original Seaman Protection Certificates are held at the National Archives at Boston in Waltham, Massachusetts. The certificates were created in response to Britain’s practice of impressment, taking seamen by force into their naval force. The British Royal Navy had impressed thousands of sailors who claimed to be American citizens. They did not recognize American citizenship or claimed that these seamen were deserters. In 1796, Congress passed the ‘Act for the Relief and Protection of American Seamen’ in 1796. The Act required all customs collectors to keep a record of all US citizens serving on US ships. The seamen were given a Seaman’s Protection Certificate. Vouched for the citizenship of the person along with giving a physical description for identifying purposes.