Henry Clay
The passport is written for Cooper and family at the time he served as a Consul at Lyons, France. Henry Clay, the Secretary of State who authorized the passport, served as John Quincy Adam’s Secretary of State (1825-29.) Cooper, the 11th of 12 children born to the man who founded Cooperstown and built Ostego Hall, is remembered for his books of sailing and wilderness adventure, the most well-known of which is Last of the Mohicans (1826). In addition to enjoying the life of a country gentleman in New York, Cooper also traveled and wrote extensively in Europe.
This passport is available on the digital library project I Remain.
