1 vol.
(United States Constitution.) The Columbian Monthly Miscellany For Sept. 1787. Philadelphia: Seddon, Spotswood, Cist and Trenchard, 1787. Vol. 1, no. 13. 8vo, orig. blue-green pictorial wrappers; front wrapper somewhat dust soiled & occasionally chipped along edges, spine mostly chipped away. Fold. table, plate. Untrimmed, fore-edges occasionally creased & dust soiled. In custom 1/4 maroon morocco & marbled bds. fall-down box.
Contains the first magazine printing of the U.S. Constitution, issued within a week of its first appearance, on the first three leaves of this issue's penultimate signature. These leaves are crisp & clean with full margins.
The Constitutional Convention passed the final draft on Monday, September 17th, 1787. The following day, an issue for the members of the Convention was printed by Dunlap and Claypoole, printers to the Convention. On September 19th, the same printiers issued the first public printing of The Constitution in their newspaper, The Pennsylvania Packet. The September issue of The Columbian Magazine was likely printed late in that week, with the final signatures probably printed on September 22, 1787 (the last date recorded in the text of the issue).
According to Mott's History of American Magazines, late 18th-century American periodicals were usually issued during the last week of the month. This issue was likely in general circulation by Monday the 24th, a week after the Convention, four days after the official publication and three days after the first public [newspaper] printing.
The Columbian Magazine, began in September, 1786, was, with Mathew Carey's American Museum, one of two important Philadelphia magazines. It had a wider circulation than any Philadelphia newspaper of the day, and thus was one of the chief means by which The Constitution was first disseminated. The Constitution was also printed in the September 1787 issue of Mathew Carey's American Museum. No priority of publication has been established.
Mott, I, pp. 94-99; see Evans 20280