Search Results: American Revolution from Charles Agvent

Philadelphia: Asbury Dickins, 1801. First Edition. Hardcover. Text quite clean, early 20th century ink inscription below Boudinot's inscription; rubbing to spine and joints, "Harvard College" in gilt at base of spine, covers tight. Very Good. Contemporary sheep leather (5-1/8" x 8-1/2"); [ii], 232, [2] pages. Complete with half-title and errata. INSCRIBED by the author on the front endpaper: "Presented to the Library of Harvard College by the Author." An answer to Thomas Paine by a distinguished New Jersey statesman who at the time was the second director of the U.S. Mint (1795-1805). Elias Boudinot, an American revolutionary statesman serving as commissary-general of prisoners and colonel in the continental army (he was with George Washington at Valley Forge), as well as president (1782-1783) and secretary for foreign affairs of the Continental Congress, signed the treaties of peace with Great Britain and of alliance with the French king. He also helped ratify the United States Constitution in New… Read More

Washington, 29 March 1830. Letter. Some splitting along the fold. Fine. A three-page AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED (ALS) by Adams on one large sheet of paper folded to 7-7/8" x 9-3/4" to the editor of the AMERICAN ANNUAL REGISTER, Joseph Blunt, sending corrections to his important and lengthy unsigned article dealing with the Russo-Turkish War and Greece. In this article Adams contrasts Christianity with Islam to the advantage of Christianity. Here is an example from the article not from the letter: "In the seventh century of the Christian era, a wandering Arab of the lineage of Hagar [i.e., Muhammad], the Egyptian, combining the powers of transcendent genius, with the preternatural energy of a fanatic, and the fraudulent spirit of an impostor, proclaimed himself as a messenger from Heaven, and spread desolation and delusion over an extensive portion of the earth. Adopting from the sublime conception of the Mosaic law, the doctrine of one omnipotent God; he connected indissolubly with it, the audacious… Read More

London: J. Dodsley, 1779. Second Edition. Hardcover. Early ink name crossed out on the title page, light to moderate foxing; pages 255 to 258 in the second section lacking, otherwise complete with the entire text of the Declaration and the Articles present. Binding tight with some wear but easily Very Good. Bound in contemporary calf-backed boards. Though not a First Edition, still an early eighteenth-century printing of one of the most desirable volumes of this prestigious series as this year contains two of the most important documents in American history. Where the text states "The history of the present ----- of --------- ------------- is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations," someone has added in ink in an early hand "King of Great Britain."

Washington DC: Jacob Gideon, 1818. First Edition. Hardcover. Text evenly darkened with some foxing and staining. Old rebacking with a newer front board, front hinge a tad tender but firm. Very Good. Bound in contemporary sheep leather with a gilt-lettered black morocco spine label; 671 pages. The First Edition of this classic in which the authors of each essay were identified by name. Comprises 85 political essays, most written by Hamilton, all but the last 8 of which were first published in newspapers in New York in an effort to convince New York to approve the ratification of the Federalist Constitution. Also contains much additional material including the preface by Jacob Gideon as well as anonymous Hamilton letters written as "Pacificus" and the responses and corrections prepared by Madison to the McLean edition of 1810. Owner signature on the title page dated 1872 of James B[lack] Groome, Governor of Maryland from 1874 to 1876 and a member of the United States Senate representing Maryland from… Read More

New York: Alexander V. Blake, 1838. First Edition. Hardcover. Light to moderate foxing, most of the text clean; tear with no loss to one of the fragile folding plates. Cloth a little marked, the first volume with the spine head frayed and the front cover holding by one cord. Good to Very Good. Two volumes in publisher's green cloth. Illustrated with 2 engraved title pages, 5 portraits, 2 plans, 2 folding plates, and 1 facsimile, along with several text engravings. Complete with half-title pages. HOWES S-1040; NEW HOWES S-1047 "b": "Best biography of an American Indian."

Boston: Powars and Willis, 1784. First American Edition. Softcover. Minor staining to title page; corners unevenly clipped to last page. Very Good. Published in London the same year. Early marbled wraps (4-1/4" x 6-3/4"); 87, [1] pages. The last page with addendum notes for pages 6 and 45. Price, an intimate friend of Benjamin Franklin, was along with Thomas Paine among the most influential British advocates of American Independence. In this work, Price congratulates the victorious former colonists, stating that the Revolution "opens a new prospect in human affairs, and begins a new era in the history of mankind." HOWES P-585.

Newburyport: Morss and Brewster, (1837). First Edition. wraps. Very Good and scarce. Original printed blue wrappers; 68 pages. INSCRIBED and SIGNED on the front blue wrapper: "Deacon Samuel Savile/from/John Quincy Adams." Books inscribed by Adams are quite uncommon, and when found are usually signed on a presentation slip pasted in rather than in the actual pamphlet or book as it is here. The first child of a president to become a president, the first president to be a published poet, and the first president to be photographed, Adams was certainly one of our most intelligent presidents and one of the greatest humanitarians to hold that office. He is also the only president to serve in Congress after leaving office and is perhaps best known for two accomplishments outside his term: the authorship of the Monroe Doctrine as secretary of state and his heroic, successful argument before the Supreme Court to free the Amistad slaves. This oration is of particular interest as it was given on 4 July 1837 to… Read More

Washington: Gales and Seaton, 1835. First Edition. Pamphlet. Some light pencil markings to text, rather even browning to pages. Slight loss of paper at the spine. Near Fine and scarce. Original printed blue wrappers; 94 pages. INSCRIBED and SIGNED on the front blue wrapper: "Revd. William Hawley/from/J. Q. Adams." Adams had written "Joseph" which is crossed out with "William," possibly in another hand, written above it. Hawley was the second Rector of St. John's Church in Washington, D.C., a church where every president since James Madison has attended services. It was in the news recently when Donald Trump stood in front of it holding a Bible upside down. Hawley baptized and married African Americans of all legal statuses when he led the Church from 1817 to 1845. He also performed the marriage for John Quincy Adams's son John. Books inscribed by Adams are quite uncommon. THIS TITLE IS MOST OFTEN FOUND SIGNED ON A PRESENTATION SLIP PASTED OR TIPPED INTO THE BOOK RATHER THAN IN THE ACTUAL BOOK AS IT… Read More

Paris: M. Ponce et M. Godefroy, [1784]. First Edition. Hardcover. A clean copy of this interesting book. Near Fine. Oblong quarto (12-3/4" x 9-3/4") bound in recent calf-backed boards with a gilt-decorated spine and gilt-lettered morocco spine label. This copy complete with 16 engraved plates plus 2 additional plates bound at the end. Includes an engraved title page with vignettes (HOWES C576: the first French book to mention the United States on the title page), twelve plates of scenes, two maps, and a final plate celebrating the peace of 1783. One of the few contemporary publications with illustrated scenes from the Revolution, this copy has wider margins than others we have examined. The plates are: 1. Precis de cette guerre. 2. John Malcom. 3. Journee de Lexington. 4. Sarratoga. 5. Prise de la Dominique. vi. Prise du Senegal. 7. Prise de l'isle de la Grenade. 8. Prise de Pensacola. 9. Prise de Tabago. 10. Reddition de l'armee du Lord Cornwallis. 11. Surprise de St. Eustache. 12. Siege du Fort S.… Read More

London: J. Dodsley, 1789. First Edition. Hardcover. Early ink stamp on front pastedown; clean copy in a worn binding with the spine dry and rubbed and the joints split but holding tight. Good. Bound in contemporary calf-backed marbled boards. While some copies have a title page dated 1788, the first edition was published in 1789. One of the most desirable volumes of this prestigious series as this year contains an early printing of the United States Constitution including the text of its submission signed in type by George Washington. There is also an account of the examination of "a motley-coloured, or pye Negro Girl and Mulatto Boy" from Guadaloupe exhibited before the American Philosophical Society.

Albany, NY: Charles R. and George Webster, (1792). First Edition. Hardcover. The first half of the "Rights of Man" is more browned than the rest of the book's text, but generally clean overall in a nice original binding with some loss at the spine tips, mainly the head, and minor worming to the front cover. Very Good to Near Fine. Small quarto (5" x 7-3/4") bound in original sheep with a gilt-lettered burgundy morocco spine label; xii, 60, [2], 186, 41, [3], vi-vii, [2], 10-70, [2], 24, [2], 124, [2] pages. Contains 1. Common Sense; Addressed to the Inhabitants of America (Albany: Re-Printed, by Charles R. and George Webster, 1791); 2. The Crisis: In Thirteen Numbers. Written During the Late War (Albany: Printed & Sold, by Charles R. & George Webster, 1792); 3. Public Good: Being an Examination into the Claim of Virginia, to the Vacant Western Territory, and of the Right of the United States to the Same (Albany: Printed by Charles R. & George Webster, [n.d.]). 4. Letter Addressed to the Abbe Raynal,… Read More