This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/18/2024
17TH CENTURY MANUSCRIPT AMERICANA
DONGAN, Thomas (1634-1715). Autograph document signed (“Tho. Dongan”), 1 May 1689. One-page, oblong 8vo (203 x 222 mm), on vellum, docketed and endorsed on verso, old folds, original wax seal mostly intact, tiny hole in margin. FORMER COLONIAL GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK agrees to a deal with Robert Livingston for 4,000 (1654-1728) pounds paid to Livingston. Appointed by King James II, Dongan was tasked with implementing the principles of the Dominion of New England, which aimed to consolidate and strengthen royal control over the American colonies. Dongan’s governorship is notable for the issuance of the Dongan Charter in 1686, a document that granted significant political and religious freedoms to the residents of New York. Despite his relatively short tenure, Dongan played a crucial role in shaping the early political and social landscape of the province, and his charter had lasting implications for the development of New York’s governance. Robert Livingston the Elder was the first lord of the massive Livingston Manor tract in Sullivan County, New York.