Certification of C. W. F. Dumas’ Oath of Allegiance to the United States, 16 December 1780
JA
Searle, James
Certification of C. W. F. Dumas’ Oath of Allegiance to the United States, 16 December 1780
Adams, John
Searle, James
Certification of C. W. F. Dumas' Oath of Allegiance to the United States
Amsterdam December 16. 1780
Charles William Frederick Dumas, personally appeared before Us and took the Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America, upon the holy Evangelists of Almighty God.1
John Adams Minister Plenipotentiary from the United States
James Searle Member of Congress for the Commonwealth of Pensylvania
416
MS
(DLC: Dumas Papers); endorsed by Dumas: “Amst. 16e. Dec. 1780. Acte de mon serment de fidélité, aux EtatsUnis. d'Amérique, prêté personnellement entre les mains de leur Min. plénipe. Jn. Adams, à Amsterdam. NB. NB. J'avois dejà prêté Serment de fidélité dans ma premiere Lettre au Congrès en acceptant leur Agence accréditée par leur committé, datée du 9–12 Décembre 1775. V. la Lettre du Dr. Franklin. Cwf Dumas.” No letter of 9–12 Dec. 1775 from Dumas to Congress has been found, but the letter to Franklin may be that of 14 Dec. 1780 in which Dumas informed Franklin of his decision to take the oath of allegiance, a copy of the certificate for which he sent to Franklin on 21 Dec. (
Cal. Franklin Papers, A.P.S.
, 2:323, 325).
1.
The oath taken by Dumas was as follows: “I do acknowledge the Thirteen united States of north america to be Free Sovereign and Independant States, and I do hereby Declare and acknowledge myself a Subject of the Said States only, and that I will do nothing prejudicial to the Freedom, Sovereignty and independence of the Said States but will promote the Same by all lawfull means” (PCC, No. 101, f. 132).