Henry letters

[1] The letters documented Henry's efforts to determine Federalist sympathies to have the New England states leave the United States and join the British Empire.

A bundle of letters was sold to President James Madison for $50,000.

The letters were fraudulent, but both the President and his fellow Republicans in Congress were deceived on the eve of the War of 1812.

[2] Henry left the United States for France shortly before the letters were made public on March 9, 1812 in a message to Congress by President Madison.

Leopold writes, "In buying sight unseen, in February, 1812, the worthless Henry letters at the cost of a badly needed frigate in order to expose the supposed intrigues of the New England Federalists, Madison and Secretary of State Monroe looked like fools as well as knaves.