[Presidential] [Madison, James] Message from the President of the United States, Transmitting Sundry Documents Relating to a Declaration and Order in Council of the British Government, of the Twenty-First of April, 1812

Washington City: Roger C. Weightman, 1813. 8vo. With a clipped signature of Madison's (signed, "James Madison"), excised from a partially-printed document (ca. 1803), tipped onto transmittal leaf; 1 3/4 x 4 in. (44 x 102 mm). Disbound and inserted into a faux leather wallet-style binding; some spotting and toning; a few leaves separating from original stitching. Not in Sabin

Issued just weeks before the outbreak of the War of 1812, President James Madison's message to Congress enclosed critical British government documents surrounding the British Order in Council which restricted American trade and maritime rights. These policies, particularly the British practice of impressment and interference with neutral commerce, had long inflamed tensions between the two nations. Madison’s transmission of these papers served to highlight ongoing British provocations and to justify the United States’s growing calls for war. Less than two months later, on June 18, 1812, the United States formally declared war on Great Britain—citing such violations as a primary cause.

Exceedingly rare. We were unable to locate any copies at auction in the past century.

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1600 W. Girard Avenue, Philadelphia. Please contact the Auction Specialist for details.

Darren Winston

SVP, Head of Department, Books and Manuscripts, Philadelphia

darrenwinston@freemansauction.com 267.414.1247

Darren Winston, Senior Vice President at Freeman’s, has served as Head of Department for Books & Manuscripts, Philadelphia, since 2018. He has been a trustee of the Rosenbach Museum and Library since 2022, is a member of The Manuscript Society, The Bibliographical Society of America, and Philadelphia’s Philobiblon Club.

Raised in northern New Jersey, Darren moved to New York City in 1988 and began his career there as a bookseller in 1995. He spent the next 18 years selling to private clients and at East Coast book fairs. In 2003 he moved with his young family to Sharon, Connecticut where, in 2009, he opened his own bookshop. Darren Winston, Bookseller offered rare and vintage books, prints, fine art, and more, and hosted over 50 book signings and art shows. He was a trustee and, later, Board President, of the Sharon Historical Society, and for six years a trustee of Indian Mountain School in Lakeville, Connecticut.

Darren has hosted the radio program "Darren Winston's Book Report" for NPR-affiliate WHDD since 2009, appeared in the 2014 book-themed documentary The Paper Trail, and in 2024 he joined Antiques Roadshow as a books and manuscripts appraiser. From 1999 to 2005, Darren was the buyer and consultant to the Fine and Rare Books Department at Asprey, the British luxury goods company, at its New York headquarters. While there he spearheaded various in-store events including readings by Salman Rushdie and Dominick Dunne.

In 1993, Darren was hired as a Creative Consultant to Columbia Records, where he assisted in the repackaging of their 12-record Aerosmith back catalogue. He later sold his extensive collection of Aerosmith memorabilia, which he began amassing at the age of 14, directly to the band.

Darren now lives on the Main Line, outside Philadelphia, with his wife, two children, and dog. The family travels frequently to his wife's native England and Scotland. When not bookselling, he plays guitar in Pumped, an Aerosmith tribute band. Darren also appears on the top-rated PBS television program Antiques Roadshow.

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Fine Printed Books & Manuscripts, Including Americana

[Presidential] [Madison, James] Message from the President of the United States, Transmitting Sundry Documents Relating to a Declaration and Order in Council of the British Government, of the Twenty-First of April, 1812

Fine Printed Books & Manuscripts, Including Americana

[Presidential] [Madison, James] Message from the President of the United States, Transmitting Sundry Documents Relating to a Declaration and Order in Council of the British Government, of the Twenty-First of April, 1812

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