On November 29, 1817 American Diplomats Caesar A. Rodney, John Graham, and Theodorick Bland along with H.M. Brackenridege as secretary arrived in Norfolk, Virginia to board the frigate USS Congress commanded by Arthur Sinclair to embark on a mission to visit South American States to obtain information regarding their character and resources. The South American states were in the midst of a war with the king of Spain to win their independence, and President James Monroe had made it very clear that he considered it a civil war, with the South American states on equal footing with neutral rights. With this voyage, he hoped to open trade with the South American states. In his first Annual address to Congress, Monroe stated his objective "to secure proper respect to our commerce in every port and from every flag". With respect to the South American States and Europe, America was going to maintain it's "Impartial neutrality". And the day after Monroe delivered officially delivered his written address, the American ambassadors boarded the frigate Congress and on December 4th, the anchor was pulled and they began their long and tedious voyage.
Perhaps, this section of Monroe's State of the Union Address, was a bon voyage message to the USS Congress and the Diplomats on board.
"To obtain correct information on every subject in which the United States are interested; to inspire just sentiments in all persons in authority, on either side, of our friendly disposition so far as it may comport with an impartial neutrality, and to secure proper respect to our commerce in every port and from every flag, it has been thought proper to send a ship of war with three distinguished citizens along the southern coast with these purpose. With the existing authorities, with those in the possession of and exercising the sovereignty, must the communication be held; from them alone can redress for past injuries committed by persons acting under them be obtained; by them alone can the commission of the like in future be prevented."
The voyage itself turned out to be nothing but a blip in our history, but the details of the trip were captured by the secretary H.M. Brackenridge in a two Volumes entitled "Voyage to South-America, performed by order of the American Government in the years 1817 and 1818 in the Frigate Congress". Brackenridge described his writing as "a narrative of a voyage of nearly twenty thousand miles, with all that I saw and heard, or could collect from authentic sources, at the places where I touched." Brackenridge explained that his goal was merely to produce a "spirit of inquiry". South America was a world that too often was ignored by the United States and Great Britain, and that was inexcusable. According to Brackenridge, the people of South America were capable of defending and governing themselves, and most importantly of being fee. They expect nothing but friendship and good will from us. The USS Congress returned to Norfolk in July 1818.
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29459
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Congress_(1799)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/1818_Pinkerton_Map_of_South_America_-_Geographicus_-_SouthAmerica-pinkerton-1818.jpg
Voyage to South-America ... in the Years 1817 and 1818. - London, John Miller 1820 (Henry- Marie Brackenridge author)
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