This example of Speaker Henry Clay’s signature comes from an envelope sent on January 2, 1818. The “free” written next to Clay’s signature is the key to the paper’s origin. A Member of Congress could send official letters without charge, simply by signing his name and indicating that postage was free. When Clay penned this correspondence, the House was meeting in its temporary headquarters, the Old Brick Capitol, while the Capitol Building was rebuilt following the War of 1812.
