Beschreibung:

UNITED STATES] Acts Passed at a Congress of the United States of America, begun and held at the City of New-York, on Wednesday... . New York: Francis Childs & John Swain, Printers to the United States, [1789]. First edition. Folio issue, an uncut copy. Cloth with red and black lettering labels, preserved within are early (original?) marbled front and rear wrappers, on which "Laws Passed 1st Session" has been neatly inked in a contemporary hand. 13 1/4 x 8 1/4 inches (34 x 21.5 cm); xiv, [1], 16-93, [2], xcvi-cv, [1]p.; Collation: [A](2) B-C(2) [D](2) E-Z(2) 2A(1) 2B-2D(2) (2D2 verso blank), 53 leaves, retains one front blank. Stamps to title, a few quires toned, occasional spotting or small tears, Y2 with a with a small marginal puncture (paper flaw), corner of Bb2 torn away, some toning along uncut edges, the wrappers substantially complete but lightly worn, a very clean copy internally. First edition of the official issue of the acts of the first United States congress. This landmark book prints the United States Constitution and the first twelve amendments, ten of which were formed into the Bill of Rights. The main body of the text prints the first acts approved by the new government, including the establishment of the Treasury Department, the Department of War, and the Department of Foreign Affairs (later the Department of State). Also printed is the Act to Provide for the Government of the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio which directed American policy toward western expansion and the Act to Establish the Judicial Courts of the United States which formalized courts, district attorneys and the position of Attorney General. Pleasing features of the current copy are its early wrappers and uncut condition. This official printing of the work is quite scarce with very few copies sold at auction. Most copies sold have carried highly important Federal period signatures and associations, such George Washington's copy which hammered down for nearly ten million dollars in 2012, as well as copies owned by John Jay, Thomas Jefferson and Richard Varick. We find only one copy sold in the past thirty years without an 18th century association, that being the Laird U. Park, Jr. copy (Sotheby's New York, 29 November 2000, $35,250). Evans 22189. C The New York City Bar Association