LS signed “Dan'l Webster,” one page, 8 x 10, March 6, 1843. Letter to Edward Carrington of Providence, Rhode Island, in full: "I have the pleasure to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 2nd March. The suggestions it contains in relation to the Mission to China are very valuable, and I beg you to accept my thanks for them." In fine condition. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope, free franked by Webster in the upper right corner, "Dan'l Webster."
The 1843 U.S. mission to China, led by diplomat Caleb Cushing, was the first formal American diplomatic mission to the Qing Empire and followed China’s defeat in the First Opium War. Its primary result was the Treaty of Wanghia (1844), which granted the United States commercial access to several Chinese ports, extraterritorial rights for American citizens, and most-favored-nation status. The mission reflected the United States’ growing interest in Asian trade and diplomacy, and it helped establish a lasting American presence in China during the 19th century.
