![A DECLARATION BY THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED COLONIES OF NORTH-AMERICA, NOW MET IN GENERAL CONGRESS AT PHILADELPHIA, SETING [sic] FORTH THE CAUSES AND NECESSITY OF THEIR TAKING UP ARMS](https://d3525k1ryd2155.cloudfront.net/h/411/512/1437512411.0.m.0.jpg)
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A DECLARATION BY THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED COLONIES OF NORTH-AMERICA, NOW MET IN GENERAL CONGRESS AT PHILADELPHIA, SETING [sic] FORTH THE CAUSES AND NECESSITY OF THEIR TAKING UP ARMS
by [Continental Congress]
- Used
- Hardcover
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Philadelphia: Printed by William and Thomas Bradford, 1775.. [2],13pp. Half title. 19th-century three-quarter calf and marbled boards, spine gilt. Front board expertly reattached, spine ends worn. De- accessioned bookplate of the Library Company of Philadelphia on front pastedown, marked "duplicate" in ink. Moderate staining; outer upper margin of first five leaves repaired, not affecting text; bottom third of last leaf lacking, costing two-line dateline at the end of the text. Good. Inscribed "From Wm Bradford esq" on the half title. The very rare first edition of this crucial Revolutionary document - the declaration of Congress issued July 6, 1775, giving reasons for the American colonies taking up arms against Great Britain. This copy was inscribed by one of the book's printers, legendary Revolutionary War printer from Philadelphia, William Bradford, on the half title page: "From Wm Bradford esq."
Issued in the wake of the battles of Lexington and Concord and at Bunker Hill, and a year before the formal Declaration of Independence, the work is one of the most significant statements of the Continental Congress - a clear indication of the seriousness and intractability of the Americans. The work proclaims: "Our cause is just. Our union is perfect. Our internal resources are great, and if necessary, foreign assistance is undoubtedly attainable." With this document the Continental Congress and the American colonies crossed the Rubicon - the road to independence became the only realistic path forward.
There were an additional seven printings in America in 1775, following this official Philadelphia printing by the Bradford brothers, reflecting its immediate importance to the American cause. Only COMMON SENSE appeared in more editions in the American colonies during this crisis period. A landmark work, of the greatest possible importance.
This copy was bought for $977.50 at Parke Bernet's auction of material from the Library Company and Historical Society of Pennsylvania sale, January 20, 1970, lot 163, thus explaining the Library Company "duplicate" bookplate. It was bought by H. Richard Dietrich and has remained in his foundation's collection since that time. HOWES D198, "b." EVANS 14544. ESTC W30722. HILDEBURN 3189. SABIN 15522, 19159. AMERICAN CONTROVERSY 75-149a. REESE, REVOLUTIONARY HUNDRED 34.
Issued in the wake of the battles of Lexington and Concord and at Bunker Hill, and a year before the formal Declaration of Independence, the work is one of the most significant statements of the Continental Congress - a clear indication of the seriousness and intractability of the Americans. The work proclaims: "Our cause is just. Our union is perfect. Our internal resources are great, and if necessary, foreign assistance is undoubtedly attainable." With this document the Continental Congress and the American colonies crossed the Rubicon - the road to independence became the only realistic path forward.
There were an additional seven printings in America in 1775, following this official Philadelphia printing by the Bradford brothers, reflecting its immediate importance to the American cause. Only COMMON SENSE appeared in more editions in the American colonies during this crisis period. A landmark work, of the greatest possible importance.
This copy was bought for $977.50 at Parke Bernet's auction of material from the Library Company and Historical Society of Pennsylvania sale, January 20, 1970, lot 163, thus explaining the Library Company "duplicate" bookplate. It was bought by H. Richard Dietrich and has remained in his foundation's collection since that time. HOWES D198, "b." EVANS 14544. ESTC W30722. HILDEBURN 3189. SABIN 15522, 19159. AMERICAN CONTROVERSY 75-149a. REESE, REVOLUTIONARY HUNDRED 34.
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Details
- Bookseller
- William Reese Company
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- WRCAM56869
- Title
- A DECLARATION BY THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED COLONIES OF NORTH-AMERICA, NOW MET IN GENERAL CONGRESS AT PHILADELPHIA, SETING [sic] FORTH THE CAUSES AND NECESSITY OF THEIR TAKING UP ARMS
- Author
- [Continental Congress]
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- Printed by William and Thomas Bradford
- Place of Publication
- Philadelphia
- Date Published
- 1775.
Terms of Sale
William Reese Company
All material is shipped subject to approval, but notification of return must be made within ten days and returns made in a prompt and conscientious fashion.
About the Seller
William Reese Company
Biblio member since 2006
New Haven, Connecticut
About William Reese Company
Since 1975, William Reese Company has served a large international clientele of collectors and private and public institutions in the acquisition of rare books and manuscripts and in collection development.
With a catalogued inventory of over thirty thousand items, and a general inventory of over sixty-five thousand items, we are among the leading specialists in the fields of Americana and world travel, and maintain a large and eclectic inventory of literary first editions and antiquarian books of the 18th through 20th centuries.
We issue frequent, and substantial, catalogues in our fields of specialization, and we are equipped to produce smaller lists devoted to specific subjects with ease in response to requests.
With a catalogued inventory of over thirty thousand items, and a general inventory of over sixty-five thousand items, we are among the leading specialists in the fields of Americana and world travel, and maintain a large and eclectic inventory of literary first editions and antiquarian books of the 18th through 20th centuries.
We issue frequent, and substantial, catalogues in our fields of specialization, and we are equipped to produce smaller lists devoted to specific subjects with ease in response to requests.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Inscribed
- When a book is described as being inscribed, it indicates that a short note written by the author or a previous owner has been...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Leaves
- Very generally, "leaves" refers to the pages of a book, as in the common phrase, "loose-leaf pages." A leaf is a single sheet...
- Calf
- Calf or calf hide is a common form of leather binding. Calf binding is naturally a light brown but there are ways to treat the...
- Half Title
- The blank front page which appears just prior to the title page, and typically contains only the title of the book, although, at...
- Marbled boards
- ...
- Bookplate
- Highly sought after by some collectors, a book plate is an inscribed or decorative device that identifies the owner, or former...
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