AE Monthly

Article Archives Search

AE Reviews


Early Americana from Michael Brown Rare Books Michael Brown offers more early Americana By Michael Stillman Michael Brown Rare Books recently issued their 43rd catalogue of Americana. This one offers a combination of books and manuscripts, including numerous letters from ordinary citizens dealing with extraordinary conditions, such as war, Indian skirmishes, a gold rush, and living on the frontier in the 19th century. It is hard to imagine how challenging life was in the 18th and 19th century, but these books and letters will help you picture those trying times a little better. Here are a few of them. Item 37 presents rare first and only printings of the constitutions for the state and territory of Jefferson, in issues of the Rocky Mountain News, from Auraria and Denver, Kansas Territory (Auraria is now a neighborhood within Denver). These issues are dated August 20 and October 20, 1859. Much of today's Colorado was part of the Kansas Territory in the 1850s, a sparsely populated area mainly inhabited by Indians. All that began to change with the Pike's Peak gold rush. Settlers to the area found themselves in a lawless land. Kansas authorities were too busy with the battles of "Bleeding Kansas" to the east to pay them much attention, and federal authorities were likewise consumed with the North-South confrontation leading the nation towards civil war. As a result, some of the settlers took it upon themselves to form their own government. They first attempted to create a state in the area that consists of today's Colorado plus parts of Nebraska, Wyoming and Utah. However, the local populace rejected statehood in a referendum on September 24, 1859. The leaders of the movement then tossed out the state constitution and wrote the second, territorial edition, which was approved by the locals. The government of the Territory of Jefferson, as they named it, operated as the de facto authority in the area until 1861. At that point, Congress approved the formation of the Territory of Colorado, and with that, the government of the unrecognized Territory of Jefferson disbanded. These rare early issues of the Rocky Mountain News, Colorado's first publication, are priced at $20,000. Item 52 is the London (second) edition of an otherwise ordinary sermon with a most prophetic footnote. It is Religion and Patriotism The Constituents of a Good Soldier. This sermon was preached by Samuel Davies to a group of Virginia volunteers on August 17, 1755, with this edition printed the following year. The prophetic footnote on page 12 reads, "As a remarkable Instance of this, I may point out to the Public that heroic youth Col. Washington, whom I cannot but hope Providence has hitherto preserved in so signal a Manner, for some important Service to his Country." George Washington was 23 years old at the time, and he did have some important service to his country in store. $500.
Early Americana from Michael Brown Rare Books King George declares the War of Jenkins' Ear. Item 87 is a Senate report that led to one of the most important events in American history: Mississippi Question. Report of a Debate in the Senate...Concerning the Violation of the Right of Deposit in the Island of New Orleans. This early 1803 report concerned "oppressive conduct of the Spanish Government at New Orleans." The Spanish were ignoring treaty agreements to allow American traders access to shipping at New Orleans. Spain was under the domination of France's Napoleon at the time, so Jefferson dispatched James Monroe to Paris in an attempt to purchase New Orleans from the French. Of course, as we all now know, France did him one better, offering the entire Louisiana Territory for sale. $1,000. Item 191 is the declaration of the first foreign war to summon Americans. The year was 1739, and King George declared war against the Spanish. The British were always fighting the Spanish or French or someone over something at the time. This time it was the absurd War of Jenkins' Ear, when a British ship captain presented his lopped off ear to Parliament and demanded revenge for his lost honor. Once war was declared, the British requested volunteers from the colonies, which were provided. In America, the British attacked Spain's settlement in Florida, with no success, while the Spanish were equally adept at wresting Georgia from British control. Eventually, this war wore down, as the parties became involved in more serious conflicts in Europe. Offered is a 1739 broadside from London announcing His Majesty's Declaration of War against the King of Spain. $8,500. Item 15 was sort of a last chance offering to New Yorkers who were still loyal to the British crown. It is a broadside headed A Declaration...passed May 10, 1777, offering free pardon to such of the subjects of the said state, as, having committed treasonable acts against the same, shall return their allegiance... Of course the Tories probably thought they were the ones who were loyal. $7,500. Michael Brown Rare Books may be reached online at www.mbamericana.com or 215-387-9808.

Early Americana from Michael Brown Rare Books

Michael Brown offers more early Americana

By Michael Stillman

Michael Brown Rare Books recently issued their 43rd catalogue of Americana. This one offers a combination of books and manuscripts, including numerous letters from ordinary citizens dealing with extraordinary conditions, such as war, Indian skirmishes, a gold rush, and living on the frontier in the 19th century. It is hard to imagine how challenging life was in the 18th and 19th century, but these books and letters will help you picture those trying times a little better. Here are a few of them.

Item 37 presents rare first and only printings of the constitutions for the state and territory of Jefferson, in issues of the Rocky Mountain News, from Auraria and Denver, Kansas Territory (Auraria is now a neighborhood within Denver). These issues are dated August 20 and October 20, 1859. Much of today's Colorado was part of the Kansas Territory in the 1850s, a sparsely populated area mainly inhabited by Indians. All that began to change with the Pike's Peak gold rush. Settlers to the area found themselves in a lawless land. Kansas authorities were too busy with the battles of "Bleeding Kansas" to the east to pay them much attention, and federal authorities were likewise consumed with the North-South confrontation leading the nation towards civil war. As a result, some of the settlers took it upon themselves to form their own government. They first attempted to create a state in the area that consists of today's Colorado plus parts of Nebraska, Wyoming and Utah. However, the local populace rejected statehood in a referendum on September 24, 1859. The leaders of the movement then tossed out the state constitution and wrote the second, territorial edition, which was approved by the locals. The government of the Territory of Jefferson, as they named it, operated as the de facto authority in the area until 1861. At that point, Congress approved the formation of the Territory of Colorado, and with that, the government of the unrecognized Territory of Jefferson disbanded. These rare early issues of the Rocky Mountain News, Colorado's first publication, are priced at $20,000.

Item 52 is the London (second) edition of an otherwise ordinary sermon with a most prophetic footnote. It is Religion and Patriotism The Constituents of a Good Soldier. This sermon was preached by Samuel Davies to a group of Virginia volunteers on August 17, 1755, with this edition printed the following year. The prophetic footnote on page 12 reads, "As a remarkable Instance of this, I may point out to the Public that heroic youth Col. Washington, whom I cannot but hope Providence has hitherto preserved in so signal a Manner, for some important Service to his Country." George Washington was 23 years old at the time, and he did have some important service to his country in store. $500.

Early Americana from Michael Brown Rare Books

King George declares the War of Jenkins' Ear.

Item 87 is a Senate report that led to one of the most important events in American history: Mississippi Question. Report of a Debate in the Senate...Concerning the Violation of the Right of Deposit in the Island of New Orleans. This early 1803 report concerned "oppressive conduct of the Spanish Government at New Orleans." The Spanish were ignoring treaty agreements to allow American traders access to shipping at New Orleans. Spain was under the domination of France's Napoleon at the time, so Jefferson dispatched James Monroe to Paris in an attempt to purchase New Orleans from the French. Of course, as we all now know, France did him one better, offering the entire Louisiana Territory for sale. $1,000.

Item 191 is the declaration of the first foreign war to summon Americans. The year was 1739, and King George declared war against the Spanish. The British were always fighting the Spanish or French or someone over something at the time. This time it was the absurd War of Jenkins' Ear, when a British ship captain presented his lopped off ear to Parliament and demanded revenge for his lost honor. Once war was declared, the British requested volunteers from the colonies, which were provided. In America, the British attacked Spain's settlement in Florida, with no success, while the Spanish were equally adept at wresting Georgia from British control. Eventually, this war wore down, as the parties became involved in more serious conflicts in Europe. Offered is a 1739 broadside from London announcing His Majesty's Declaration of War against the King of Spain. $8,500.

Item 15 was sort of a last chance offering to New Yorkers who were still loyal to the British crown. It is a broadside headed A Declaration...passed May 10, 1777, offering free pardon to such of the subjects of the said state, as, having committed treasonable acts against the same, shall return their allegiance... Of course the Tories probably thought they were the ones who were loyal. $7,500.

Michael Brown Rare Books may be reached online at www.mbamericana.com or 215-387-9808.