NEW YORK MAGAZINE OR LITERARY REPOSITORY, May, 1797 

* President John Adams - Congress
* USS United States launching

The issue is filled mostly with an eclectic collection of articles, while the back several pages contain news items of the day.
Perhaps the most notable content is the: "President's Speech" which takes 5 1/2 pages. This was his speech of May 15, 17907, Adams calling for the first special session of Congress to consider the worsening French-American crisis, which would lead to the Quasi War. It is signed at its conclusion: John Adams.
Following this are over 5 pages of "Domestic Occurrences" which includes a fine report of the launch of the 44 gun frigate 'United States', with considerable detail.
Of special note is the front page article: "Description of Jordan's Suspended Bridges" which carries over to page 2. Plus, included is the full page plate of it (some loss near the top, not touching the image; see) which is quite rare. Such plates were almost alway removed years ago.
Certainly one of the less common 18th century American magazine titles, existing from just 1790 to 1797.
The plate called for is present.
Complete in 56 pages, 5 by 8 inches, lacking a full title/contents page, the back leaf has mild wear with older tape mends near the spine, scattered foxing.

Background: The May 1797 issue of The New-York Magazine serves as a poignant historical ledger, capturing a young United States as it pivoted from revolutionary idealism toward the gritty realities of global realpolitik. At its core is John Adams’s May 15th address, a somber call to arms that reflects the "XYZ Affair" era's diplomatic breakdown, where the President was forced to navigate the treacherous waters between a hostile French Directory and a fractured domestic Congress. This political tension is perfectly counterbalanced by the "Domestic Occurrences" report on the launch of the USS United States; as the first of the original six heavy frigates to hit the water, its detailed description represents the literal birth of the U.S. Navy and a shift toward American naval sovereignty. Because this magazine folded in 1797, this specific issue acts as a "final chapter" of sorts for one of the eighteenth century’s most sophisticated literary repositories, offering a 56-page snapshot of a nation simultaneously building its first great warships and bracing for its first undeclared international conflict.