Books and Manuscripts

Acts Passed at a Congress of the United States of America, Begun and Held at the City of New-York, on Wednesday the Fourth of March, in the Year M,DCC,LXXXIX, and of the Independence of the United States the Thirteenth…
Hartford: Re-printed and Sold by Hudson and Goodwin, 1791. First Hartford edition. 8vo. (x), (3)-327 pp.; lacking front and rear free endpapers, and several blanks at rear; index bound following title-page. Full contemporary tan sheep, red morocco spine label, stamped in gilt, boards stained and worn; stain along top edge of most text leaves; scattered light soiling to text; dampstaining in bottom corner of first 80-plus leaves; stains at center of p. 272. Contemporary ownership signature of John Wray (1768-1842), dated 1792, on title-page, and with his inscription at head of first page of Index (iii) at front, and verso of rear blank; later Wray family ownership signatures, on title-page, dated 1862, p. (264)--John's son Leonhard Wray (1794-1825)--and at rear. Howes A-35; Bristol B7862; not in Sabin

Scarce first Hartford edition of the Acts of the first United States Congress, printing their Acts through March 3, 1791. Sabin and Evans record another Hartford edition with the same title and imprint, but printing the Acts through March 2, 1793 (Sabin 15494, Evans 23843), indicating it was possibly an expanded reissue. This edition contains printings of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the United States Constitution, and the then proposed Bill of Rights.