Books and Manuscripts

Collection of London Printings of the Proceedings of the Continental Congress

Journal of the Proceedings of the Congress, Held at Philadelphia, September 5th, 1774...
London: Printed for J. Almon, 1775. First English edition. 8vo. (ii), 66, (2) pp., with half-title. Contemporary brown mottled calf, rebacked and corners renewed, spines stamped in gilt, front board stamped with gilt device of the Inner Temple library, scratching and rubbing to calf; all edges trimmed, fore-edge with Inner Temple library ink stamp; endpapers renewed; light dampstaining to half-title, loss in fore-edge of same; faint dampstaining along top edge of text; Inner Temple library ink stamps on title-page and p. 5. Sabin 15544; Adams, The American Controversy 74-84c; Howes J-263

Bound with:

Extracts From the Votes and Proceedings of the American Continental Congress, Held at Philadelphia, on the Fifth of September, 1774...
Philadelphia Printed. London: Reprinted for J. Almon, 1774. Second English edition. (iv), 59, (1) (ad) pp., with half-title. Faint dampstaining in top edge of text; Inner Temple library ink stamp on title-page and pp. 1, 9, and 19. Sabin 15528; Adams, The American Controversy 74-83c; Howes E-247

Bound with:

Journal of the Proceedings of the Congress, Held at Philadelphia, May 10, 1775...
Philadelphia: Printed; London: Re-printed for J. Almon, 1776. First English edition. (iv), 200 (but 300) pp. Inner Temple library ink stamp on title-page and pp. (1), (3), 162, and 200. Sabin 15543; Adams, The American Controversy 75-151b; Howes J-264

Together with:

Journal of the Proceedings of Congress, Held at Philadelphia, From September 5, 1775, to April 30, 1776
Philadelphia: Printed; London: Reprinted for J. Almon, 1778. 8vo. (ii), (5)-202; half-title wanting. Bound as above, scratching and rubbing to calf; all edges trimmed; Inner Temple library ink stamps on title-page and pp. (5), 107, and 202. Sabin 15547; Adams, The American Controversy 78-110

Collection of London printings of the early proceedings of the Continental Congress. The first two works in the first volume cover the entirety of the First Continental Congress, from its first session beginning on September 5, 1774, and include the Declaration of Rights, the Continental Association, addresses to the people of Great Britain and to the inhabitants of the colonies, the Petition to the King, etc. The third text records the transactions of the Second Continental Congress, from its first session on May 5, 1775, through to August 1, and includes the "Declaration of the Causes and Necessity for Taking up Arms", the rules and regulations of the Continental Army, the appointment of George Washington as Commander-in-Chief, the Olive Branch Petition, etc. The second volume is the first English edition of the journals of the Second Continental Congress, covering their proceedings from September, 1775, to April, 1776.