Much on the exchange of prisoners in prison ships... British have evacuated the South...

THE CONNECTICUT COURANT & WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER, Hartford, July 17, 1781  



* American Revolutionary War

* Ship prisoners exchanged

* Southern colonies evacuation (British)



The front page has several letters from British Lt. Col. Balfour, most dealing with discussion for an exchange of prisoners with General Greene.

This discussion carries over to page 2 where is found a letter dat... See More  

Preparing for the final events at Yorktown... Tragic case of Col. Isaac Haynes...

THE CONNECTICUT COURANT & WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER, Hartford, Oct. 2, 1781  



* Rare American Revolutionary War publication



Most of the front page is taken up with reports and correspondence concerning the case of Col. Isaac Haynes, the American officer hanged by the British for a controversial charge. One series of letters is prefaced with: "The following are authentic copies of su... See More  

Perhaps the best Cornwallis surrender issue we have offered...

THE CONNECTICUT COURANT & WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER, Hartford, Nov. 13, 1781 



* Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown

* American Revolutionary War ending



A terrific issue as not only does it contain a fine account of the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, but it consumes the entire front page, carries over to take most of page 2, with additional information on page 3 as well.

The front p... See More  

References to Cornwallis' surrender... A plea to Congress by Loyalist James Rivington...

THE INDEPENDENT CHRONICLE AND THE UNIVERSAL ADVERTISER, Boston, Dec. 6, 1781  



* American Revolutionary War

* Post Surrender of Cornwallis

* Loyalist James Rivington



The masthead features an engraving taken from one done by Paul Revere, showing a soldier holding a sword and a document inscribed "Independence" while standing beneath a banner inscribed "Appeal To Heaven&q... See More  

Broadside edition of this famous title, with good content...

THE CONNECTICUT COURANT & WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER, Hartford, Jan. 8, 1782  



* Very rare Broadside edition from the Revolutionary War



Apparently a quite unusual broadside edition as the issue is a single sheet with the back page blank. If page 2 had text I would suspect that the back leaf was missing, but the front page text concludes on the front page and the reverse is entirely blank.... See More  

Jailed for support of the Americans... No independence for America...

THE CONNECTICUT COURANT & WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER, Hartford, April 9, 1782  



* American Revolutionary War

* America sympathizers jailed

* Independence ?



Page 2 includes: "The enemy in New York are busy in prosecuting their canal...They are also erecting a line of works on Long Island...His Excellency GENERAL WASHINGTON and his Lady arrived last Monday at Head Quarters, New-Burg,... See More  

End of war reports... Proclamation signed by John Hanson, the first President?

THE INDEPENDENT GAZETTEER; OR, THE CHRONICLE OF FREEDOM, Philadelphia, Nov. 5, 1782  



* Revolutionary War ending events

* John Hanson - 1st American president ?



Page 2 has a lengthy letter which is reflective of the American-British relationship in the past. A few bits include: "...they have not duly considered the solid reasons and unanswerable arguments of the worthy, upright pe... See More  

Reports from the closing months of the Revolutionary War...

THE FREEMAN'S JOURNAL, Philadelphia, April 9, 1783



* American Revolutionary War

* Closing events - John Dickinson



 Fully half of the front page is a lengthy letter: "To His Excellency John Dickinson, esq., President" of Pennsylvania, which relates to the paper currency of America. The balance of the front page is a letter: "To Robert Morris" that begins: "M... See More  

George Washington and the Newburgh Conspiracy...

THE CONNECTICUT COURANT, Hartford, October 7, 1783



* Newburgh Conspiracy plan

* General George Washington

* Revolutionary War ending events



 Both the front page and page 2 have nice, lengthy letters concerning the Newburgh Conspiracy of that time.

... See More  

1783 Washington's farewell orders to his Army... The treaty that ended the Revolutionary War...

THE BOSTON MAGAZINE, December, 1783  



* General George Washington

* Farewell address to Continental Army

* Post American Revolutionary War



Eighteenth century American magazines are increasingly difficult to find, let alone an issue from the Revolutionary War era.

This issue begins by printing the complete text of: "General Washington's Farewell Orders to the Armies of the Un... See More  

Philadelphia printing of the Constitution of the United States...

THE COLUMBIAN MAGAZINE, Philadelphia, September, 1787  



* Philadelphia printing of the Constitution of the United States



This title, along with the "American Museum", has the honor of being the first magazine to print the Constitution of the United States. Both publications were from Philadelphia, the city where the Constitution was created.

Comments from the Library Company ... See More  

Very significant & rare "pillar cartoon" issue, putting the Constitution into effect...

THE MASSACHUSETTS CENTINEL, Boston, Feb. 13, 1788



* United States Constitution

* Ratification of the states

* Pillar illustration - cartoon



This is one of the most desired & elusive issues of this  title to be had, as it contains one of the cherished "pillar cartoons". The only other newspaper we have discovered that used the pillar cartoons is the Independent Chronicle,... See More  

House of Representatives' version of the Bill of Rights...

GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES, New York, August 29, 1789  This is a very significant issue, as page 2 contains an early version of the historic Bill of Rights.

As a brief history, the Constitution was signed in September 1787 and sent to the Congress. Eleven days later, it was submitted to the states for ratification. But as the people began to examine the document, they came to share the sen... See More  

The near-final version of the Bill of Rights, printed just ten days before the final version...

GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES, New York, September 23, 1789  



* U.S. Senate version of the "Bill of Rights"

* United States Constitution - Amendments



Printed in their entirety on the front page are the twelve proposed Amendments to the Constitution, to be known as the Bill of Rights. But note this version is slightly different from the final version that would appear in the Oc... See More  

Death of Ben Franklin...

GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES, New York, April 24, 1790  



* Benjamin Franklin death (1ST REPORT)



Our records indicate it has been over 12 years since we have been able to offer a newspaper with some report on the death or funeral of Ben Franklin. Such issues have been very elusive.

The back page has a very notable--and early--report headed datelined at "Philadelphia, April 20, 1790... See More  

Significant Washington letter to the Jewish congregation of Newport...

GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES, New York, Sept. 15, 1790 



* President George Washington

* Letter to the Jewish congregation

* Newport, Rhode Island - Jews

* Historic Judaica item - Moses Seixas



The back page contains one of the more significant Judaica items found in an American newspaper.

It presents the full text of the: "Address Of The Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Isl... See More  

The Jay Treaty: preventing another war...

INDEPENDENT CHRONICLE & UNIVERSAL ADVERTISER, Boston, July 9 and 13, 1795  



* John - Jay's Treaty

* George Washington



A very significant pair of issues as they contain, in its entirety, the full text of the Jay Treaty, one of the more significant 18th century documents in American history.

Taking all of the front page and a bit of page 2 in the July 9,

concluding in the issue... See More  

George Washington's state-of-the-union address...

THE CONNECTICUT COURANT, Hartford, Dec. 14, 1795



* President George Washington

* State of the Union Address



Page 3 include the historic annual state-of-the-union address of President George Washington to Congress. Headed "SPEECH" it is prefaced with: "This day, precisely at 12 o'clock, The President of the United States met both Houses of Congress in the hall of the Repre... See More  

On the Lewis & Clark Expedition, reported on the front page...

COLUMBIAN CENTINEL, Boston, March 5, 1806 



* Thomas Jefferson message to U.S. Congress

* First published information on Lewis and Clark



The front page has a nice "Message" to the Congress signed in type by the President: Th. Jefferson, with much concerning the Lewis & Clark Expedition, including: "...Capt. Meriwether Lewis...was appointed, with a party of men, to ex... See More  

Death of the President, in a Washington, D.C. newspaper...

THE GLOBE Semi-Weekly edition, Washington, D.C., April 5, 1841 



* President William Henry Harrison

* Washington, D.C. death - 1st report



The upper right corner of the front page has what appears to be almost a news bulletin headed: "Death Of The President", datelined "April 4, two o'clock, A.M." and beginning: "It is with deep regret we announce that WILLI... See More  

Rare and early title from Honolulu...

THE POLYNESIAN, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaiian Islands, Aug. 31, 1844 



* Very rare 19th century Hawaiian publication



One of the earliest newspapers we have offered from Hawaii, and fourteen years earlier than the few of this title we offered in recent years.

The "first series" of this title existed for just 1 1/2 years from 1840 to 1841. It proved unprofitable and was shut down. Th... See More  

Campaign newspaper supporting Zachary Taylor for President... Great political cartoon for a masthead...

THE BATTERY, Washington, July 13, 1848  This was a campaign newspaper supporting Zachary Taylor for President and Millard Fillmore for Vice President. And it is the volume 1, number 2 issue.

In the era before radio, television, and the internet it was not uncommon for political parties to create short-lived newspapers to support their candidate and publicize their political platform. Such ne... See More  

New Orleans document for the sale of a woman slave...

New Orleans slave sale document: A part-printed, part-handwritten document headed "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. State of Louisiana" for the sale of a slave.

The full text can be seen in the photos, however portions include: "...he does...grant, bargain sell, assign, convey, transfer and deliver...Unto Sean Nontanee...of this city...purchasing for himself, his heir and assigns, a negro... See More  

Rare Hawaii newspaper from 1859...

THE POLYNESIAN, Honolulu, (Hawaii), Feb. 5, 1859 



* Very rare 19th century Hawaiian publication



A quite rare newspaper from such an early date, in fact outside of "The Friend" which was more of a missionary newspaper, this is the second oldest Hawaii newspaper we have offered.

It is formatted much like other newspapers of the day with the front page containing both ads & ... See More  

Famous letter from Lincoln to Greeley...

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, August 25, 1862



* Famous Abraham Lincoln letter

* "A Prayer of Twenty Millions" reply

* Liberal Republican Horace Greeley



The front page contains one of the more famous letters from Abraham Lincoln, being his reply to Horace Greeley's editorial of August 20, "A Prayer of Twenty Millions", which urged emancipation. Lincoln replies in h... See More