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British-American Diplomacy
Convention of 1818 between the United States and Great Britain : Hunter Miller's Notes

NOTES

The "documents showing the course and Progress of the negotiation" of this convention, which were transmitted to the Senate, are printed in American State Papers, Foreign Relations, IV, 348-407.

There are two signed originals of this convention in the Deptartment of State file; no variances between them have been noticed Also in the file is a facsimile of the United States instrument of ratification, obtained from the British archives; and with the British instrument of ratification is a certificate of the exchange of ratifications on January 30, 1819 signed and sealed by John Quincy Adams and Charles Bagot.

The original proclamation has not been found; but it was published at the time (e. g.,Niles' Weekly Register, XV, 434-36); it states the dates of the respective ratifications and also that they had been exchanged on the day of proclamation.

NOTE REGARDING ARTICLE 2

The northwestern most point of the Lake of the Woods is in fact about 271 miles north of the 49th parallel of north latitude. Accordingly, the effect of Article 2 was to provide " that a Line drawn from the said Point due . . . South . . . until the said Line shall intersect the said Parallel of North Latitude, and from the Point of such Intersection due West along . . . the said Parallel . . . shall form the Northern Boundary of the . . . United States . . . from the Lake of the Woods to the Stony [Rocky] Mountains."

That portion of the existing boundary between the United States and Canada which runs from the Lake of the Woods to the Rocky Mountains is shown by the present maps of the International Boundary Commission entitled "International Boundary from the Gulf of Georgia to the Northwestern most Point of the Lake of the Woods"; the series comprises fifty-nine charts (Sheets Nos. 1 to 59, inclusive), and there is also an Index Sheet and a Profile Sheet. The line showing the summit of the Rocky Mountains appears on Sheet No. 19; the boundary eastwards from the Rocky Mountains to the Lake of the Woods is shown on Sheets Nos. 19 to 59, inclusive; Sheet No. 59 shows the northwestern most point of the Lake of the Woods and also the turning point adopted in lieu thereof by the treaty of February 24, 1925. The charts are signed by the Commissioners of the United States and of His Britannic Majesty as adopted under Articles 6 and 7 of the treaty signed at Washington April 11, 19O8. Sheets Nos. 1 to 19 were published in 1913; Sheets Nos. 20 to 41 were published in 1921; Sheets Nos. 42 to 44 and Nos. 53 to 58 are dated November 17, 1921, Sheets Nos. 45 to 52 are dated April 7, 1922: Sheet No. 59 is dated December 7, 1927.

Originals of the maps of the International Boundary Commission are in the archives of the Department of State; copies are obtainable from the office of the International Boundary Commission in Washington.

Source:
Treaties and Other International Acts of the United States of America.
Edited by Hunter Miller
Volume 2
Documents 1-40 : 1776-1818
Washington : Government Printing Office, 1931.
127 Wall Street, New Haven, CT 06511.