The arrangement limited naval armament on the Great Lakes without settling every border problem. It shows former enemies choosing managed restraint after an expensive shipbuilding race.
The naval force to be maintained upon the American lakes, by his majesty and the government of the United States, shall henceforth be confined to the following vessels on each side, that is: ...
Historical wording and forms retained where stated.
Modernized reading
Britain and the United States agreed to strict limits on warships kept on the Great Lakes.
Plain-language reading; not a substitute for quotation.
Editorial method: The introductory clause is reproduced; the ellipsis marks the omitted vessel-by-vessel limits.
Annotations
exchange of notesMatching diplomatic letters that together created an international agreement.
confinedRestricted to specified numbers, armament, and size, not abolished without exception.
Witness and provenance
Creator
Richard Rush and Charles Bagot
Witness used
Bagot's note and Rush's confirming reply as transcribed by the Avalon Project.
Repository or edition
Avalon Project, Yale Law School
Collection
British-American Diplomacy
Identifier
Exchange of Notes Relative to Naval Forces on the American Lakes, 28–29 April 1817
Transmission
Bagot and Rush exchanged parallel diplomatic notes later treated as a binding bilateral arrangement. The linked transcription supplies both witnesses.
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