Beschreibung:

WILKES, George (1820-1885). The History of Oregon, Geographical and Political. With an Examination of the Project of a National Rail Road, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean . New York: William H. Colyer, 1845. 8 o (229 x 136 mm). Folding map. Original bluish-grey printed wrappers (rebacked, few repairs with loss of a letters on lower wrapper); blue quarter morocco slipcase. Provenance : George Turner (signature on upper wrapper and title). FIRST EDITION. This and the Overton Johnson narrative of 1846 are the only known contemporaneous accounts of the 1843 emigration (see next lot). This is the first work to propose a transcontinental railroad. It is a landmark in the history of westward expansion and Manifest Destiny: "The Railroad is the GREAT NEGOTIATOR, which alone can settle our title more conclusively than all the diplomatists in the world... Arouse then, America, and obey the mandate which Destiny has imposed upon you for the redemption of the world!" Wilkes includes the complete account of Peter H. Burnett of the celebrated overland emigration of 1843. Burnett was later the first civil governor of California. The folding map shows the Oregon country and part of British Columbia. The book is VERY RARE: Wagner-Camp locates only 4 copies, and an article in the Quarterly of the Washington Historical Society, October 1906, describes it as "one of the rarest and least known books." Graff 4657; Howes W-418 ("c"); Sabin 103997; Streeter V:3143; Wagner-Camp-Becker 119; Wheat Mapping the Transmississippi West 501.