GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES, New York, Aug. 7, 1790  Taking up nearly a full page of text—including almost the entirety of page 2—is the monumental federal statute: "An Act making Provision for the Debt of the United States," officially signed in type by John Adams as Vice President, Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State, and George Washington as President. This issue also contains a short list of "Appointments—By Authority," highlighting General Henry Knox's commission to negotiate a treaty with the Creek Indian Nation, alongside a brief notice that a charity sermon will be preached by Declaration signer Dr. John Witherspoon at the Old Presbyterian Church.

The profound historical significance of this issue cannot be overstated, as it records the literal birth of the American financial system through the historic Funding Act of 1790. Passed just three days prior on August 4, this act was the masterful, hard-fought cornerstone of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton’s financial plan to stabilize the bankrupt economy of the young republic. By having the new federal government assume the massive domestic debts incurred by the individual colonies during the Revolutionary War, the Act consolidated state obligations into a single national debt backed by the "full faith and credit" of the United States. To pass this paradigm-shifting measure, Hamilton struck the legendary Compromise of 1790 with Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, wherein skeptical Southern states agreed to the federal assumption of debt in exchange for permanently locating the nation's capital along the Potomac River. By assuring creditors repayment "at par" through a standardized system of long-term government bonds, this legislation successfully established American credit, fortified federal authority over the states, and laid the groundwork for centuries of global economic trust.

Other early congressional proceedings, maritime reports, and period advertisements are found throughout.

Complete in four pages, scattered foxing throughout, otherwise in nice condition.