Description:

The Constitution, Gorgeous Large 1789 Printing, Plus Articles and Peace Treaty

The Perpetual Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, From the Commencement of the Constitution, in October, 1780, to the Last Wednesday in May, 1789. Boston: Adams and Nourse, 1789. Disbound, present here are pages 3 through 48. Soiling, toning and foxing thoughout. Some corner folds. In very good condition.

Highlights include, in order of appearance:

1.) A printing of "Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union", pages 3-7, an agreement among the thirteen states of the United States, formerly the Thirteen Colonies, that served as the nation's first frame of government. It was debated by the Second Continental Congress at Independence Hall in Philadelphia between July 1776 and November 1777, and finalized by the Congress on November 15, 1777. It came into force on March 1, 1781, after being ratified by all thirteen colonial states. A guiding principle of the Articles was the establishment and preservation of the independence and sovereignty of the states. The Articles consciously established a weak central government, affording it only those powers the former colonies had recognized as belonging to king and parliament. The document provided clearly written rules for how the states' league of friendship, known as the Perpetual Union, would be organized.

2.) A printing of "The Definitive Treaty Between Great-Britain and The United States of America", pages 29-34, signed on September 3, 1783. This treaty, between the American colonies and Great Britain, officially ended the American Revolutionary War and overall state of conflict between the two countries. The treaty set the boundaries between British North America, later called Canada and the United States. Details included fishing rights and restoration of property and prisoners of war.

3.) A printing of "The Constitution of the United States of America", pages 35-46, the supreme law of the United States of America, superseding the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the national frame and constraints of government. The Constitution's first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, whereby the federal government is divided into three branches: the legislative, consisting of the bicameral Congress (Article I); the executive, consisting of the president and subordinate officers (Article II); and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts (Article III). Article IV, Article V, and Article VI embody concepts of federalism, describing the rights and responsibilities of state governments, the states in relationship to the federal government, and the shared process of constitutional amendment. Article VII establishes the procedure subsequently used by the thirteen states to ratify it. The Constitution of the United States is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world today.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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October 18, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

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