James Madison signed Appointment of William Crawford to Treasury Secretary

This document is the earliest Treasury appointment known to have ever reached the public, and a consequential one, coming on the heels of the Treaty of Ghent and the end of almost two decades of European hostilities. Crawford led the Treasury through the aftermath of the War of 1812, the creation of the 2nd Bank of the United States, the Panic of 1819, its recovery, and nearly a decade of U.S. growth. Therefore, it shows that William H. Crawford never gave up on Americans and helped navigate the financial concerns, which helped the U.S. to recover after multiple crises that affected the United States of America during the 19th century.