The letter from Paul Revere (1734-1818) to shipbuilder Joshua Humphreys (1751-1838) is addressed: "20/M. Joshua Humphries/Southwark/Philadelphia" and also has a "BOSTON" stamp and "Letter from Paul Revere/Dated 23 June 1800" and "Return this to me" on the outer face and reads: "Boston June 23 1800 Dear Sir Mr. Higgenson Naval Agent here has purchased the Copper which Mr. Stoddert the Naval Secretary directed him, & has delivered it me, there is upwards of 55000, it is for making Bolts, Spikes &c for the two Seventy four Gun Ships which are to be built here and at Portsmouth. Will you be kind enough to write me the Sizes of Bolts, & Spikes which you may think proper for building said Ships, and what proportion of each; the Secretary directed me to apply to you for the sizes, &c. The sooner I have them, the sooner I shall be able to fulfill my Contract. That this may meet you and family in as good health as it leaves me is the wish. Sir your humble servt Paul Revere." Also near Revere's signature is "of Mr. Joshua Humphries," and the left edge has "amend this letter from page 224 in letter book." The first man mentioned is Stephen Higginson (1743-1828), a merchant and shipbuilder from Boston who worked as an agent for the Navy in 1798 and was effectively the first secretary of the Navy. His biography, published by his grandson, includes transcriptions of letters relating to the 74-gun ships and the copper orders. The second man mentioned in the letter is First (official) Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Stoddert (1744-1813). The signature in the letter has been compared to those of other known Revere letters and definitely matches including his use of a figure-eight below. For examples see the letters from Paul Revere viewable online through the Massachusetts Historical Society. Revere's famous "Midnight Ride" before the Battles of Lexington and Concord has been taught to American children for generations, and many also know that he was a silversmith in 18th century. Fewer people are aware of his continued business and patriotic activities after our victory over the British or how they relate to the defense of our nation in the Quasi-War with France, Barbary Wars, or War of 1812. After the Revolution, Revere's business shifted from his famous silverware to a foundry he opened in Boston's North End where his business provided a wide variety of cast iron items for American households including stoves. From there, the business expanded into more and more complex manufacturing, especially items manufactured from copper and copper alloys. For example, by 1792, he and his sons were among the best-known makers of church bells in the U.S. In 1794, they expanded into casting bronze cannons, and in 1795 their production also consisted of copper bolts, spikes, and other materials necessary for the production of ships for both maritime trade and the U.S. Navy which was still in the process of being rebuilt. He also was an important pioneer in the production of copper sheeting which was used on ship hulls. The naval yard at Boston (also known as the Charlestown Navy Yard) was still under construction in 1800, and Portsmouth was officially established on June 12, 1800, shortly before the letter was written. The Navy was only recently recreated and concerns about costs, national defense, honor, and more were all wrapped up in the debates about what kind of ships to be building, how many, how they should be funded, where they should go, and exactly what they should do. The Navy had only begun to be reborn after George Washington signed the Act to Provide a Naval Armament in 1794 which authorized the building of six frigates. Humphreys was selected to design those ships and was officially appointed as naval constructor on June 28, 1794. The first ship of those six completed, the U.S.S. United States, was built by Humphreys in Philadelphia, and launched on May 10, 1797. The most famous of all U.S. ships from the early national period, the U.S.S. Constitution, was built based on Humphreys’ designs with some of Revere’s components by Edmund Hartt's shipyard in the North End not far from Revere's shop. In 1803, its hull was lined with Revere’s sheeting. The specific ships Revere references were never built. Multiple large ships ordered for the Navy were ultimately canceled in 1800 as the Navy again contracted after the end of hostilities with France in September of 1800 and the need for massive, and expensive, ships of the line subside for the time. 74-gun ships of the line would have been larger than the ships in the U.S. Navy at the time. The U.S.S. Constitution for example was a 44-gun frigate. In fact, the original six frigates remained the core of the U.S. Navy during the War of 1812, but a few ships of the line were ultimately built. Even the original six frigates designed by Humphreys after the act from 1794 had been caught up in delays, and Congress only fully backed their completion in 1797 and officially created the Department of the Navy in early 1798. In fact, the final of Humphreys' original six naval ships, the U.S.S. President, was not launched until August 1800. Samuel Humphreys, son of the letter's recipient, was also a naval architect and served chief constructor for the Navy from 1826 to 1846, and General Andrew Atkinson Humphreys of Civil War fame, owner of the swords and revolver in the preceding lots, was his grandson. Included is a signed affidavit from the consignor explaining how this item was passed down through the Humphreys family.