Books and Manuscripts

Gordon, William
The History of the Rise, Progress, and Establishment, of the Independence of the United States of America: Including an Account of the Late War; and of the Thirteen Colonies, From Their Origin to that Period
New-York: Printed by Hodge, Allen, and Campbell, 1789. In three volumes. First American edition. 8vo. (12), (25)-443; (10), (25)-474; (36), (17)-446 pp.; including lengthy Subscribers List in third volume. Illustrated with two engraved folding frontispiece maps. Full contemporary brown calf, red morocco spine labels, stamped in gilt, boards and extremities rubbed and slightly worn, joints rubbed and lightly worn; all edges trimmed; small book-plate of Judge Ezra Wilkinson, Dedham, Mass. on front paste-down of each volume; scattered light to moderate foxing to text; closed tear in right edge to each map, foxing and offsetting to same, and with small separations along folds; open tear at center, pp. 229/230 in third volume; repair in top edge, pp.339/340 in third volume. From the library of United States Senator from Connecticut, James Lanman (1767-1841), and with his signature at head of each title-page; in quarter brown morocco fall-down-back box. Howes G-256; Sabin 28011; Evans 21861; ESTC W23226; Reese, The Revolutionary Hundred 86 (English edition)

Scarce and complete first American edition of Rev. William Gordon's acclaimed history of the American Revolution, the “first full-scale history of this war by an American.” (Howes), including the two rare maps of the United States typically not found. Gordon, a dissenting minister from England sympathetic to the patriot cause, moved to America in 1770 where he became a pastor of a Congregational church at Roxbury, Massachusetts. He conceived of his history of the Revolution as early as 1776, and was later aided by both Jefferson and Washington in its completion. Considered the “most impartial and reliable of the numerous historians of the American Revolution” (Sabin), it is now known that Gordon borrowed heavily from the Annual Register, and incorporated numerous passages from contemporary David Ramsay’s History of the Revolution of South Carolina.

James Lanman (1767-1841) was an American lawyer and politician, who served in the United States Senate for Connecticut from 1819-25. 

This is only the third set since at least the 1980s to include both maps.