Letter
Jean-Hector Montaigne (Montagne), marquis de Ponçins to Benjamin Franklin, February 12, 1785
Jean-Hector Montaigne offers Benjamin Franklin a plan to form a company under Congress's authority to survey and develop the uncultivated lands of the thirteen United States. He aims to provide labor and capital to enhance the nation's prosperity by mapping resources, industries, and trade potential. Montaigne positions himself as the director of this enterprise to support the young republic's growth.