Constitutions of the Several Independent States of America; the Declaration of Independence; the Articles of Confederation between the said States; the Treaties between his Most Christian Majesty and the United States of America.
Philadelphia: Francis Bailey, 1781. Octavo (6 ¼ x 4 inches, 160x103 mm). Contemporary sheep. Condition: Foxing, browning and minor staining; spine darkened, minor wear, joints cracked but the threads intact. Provenance : Cornelius Ten Broeck (signature on verso of title, crossed out at an early date but still legible); Jacob V. Veckten (signature dated 1783 on the rear pastedown); Thomas Wynkoop (signature dated 1798 on the front free endpaper); Michael Zinman (booklabel on the front pastedown). first edition of the first compilation of state constitutions and early printings of most. One of 200 copies ordered to be printed by Congress. “This interesting publication contains a greater portion of unsophisticated wisdom and good sense than is perhaps to be met with in any other legislative code that was ever yet framed. It is, in short, the book which may be considered as the Magna Charta of the United American States” ( Sabin , quoting the Monthly Review ). Given that the state constitutions provided the framework for the Federal constitution, it is likely that heavy use of this work was made during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. This copy likely originally owned by Cornelius Ten Broeck (1719-90), a representative to the New Jersey legislature from Somerset county in 1783. Evans 17390; Howes C716; Sabin 16086.
Constitutions of the Several Independent States of America; the Declaration of Independence; the Articles of Confederation between the said States; the Treaties between his Most Christian Majesty and the United States of America.
Philadelphia: Francis Bailey, 1781. Octavo (6 ¼ x 4 inches, 160x103 mm). Contemporary sheep. Condition: Foxing, browning and minor staining; spine darkened, minor wear, joints cracked but the threads intact. Provenance : Cornelius Ten Broeck (signature on verso of title, crossed out at an early date but still legible); Jacob V. Veckten (signature dated 1783 on the rear pastedown); Thomas Wynkoop (signature dated 1798 on the front free endpaper); Michael Zinman (booklabel on the front pastedown). first edition of the first compilation of state constitutions and early printings of most. One of 200 copies ordered to be printed by Congress. “This interesting publication contains a greater portion of unsophisticated wisdom and good sense than is perhaps to be met with in any other legislative code that was ever yet framed. It is, in short, the book which may be considered as the Magna Charta of the United American States” ( Sabin , quoting the Monthly Review ). Given that the state constitutions provided the framework for the Federal constitution, it is likely that heavy use of this work was made during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. This copy likely originally owned by Cornelius Ten Broeck (1719-90), a representative to the New Jersey legislature from Somerset county in 1783. Evans 17390; Howes C716; Sabin 16086.
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