[BUXTON, Thomas Fowell]

Review of the African Slave Trade [Extracted from the British and Foreign Review, or European Quarterly Journal, No. XVIII] Bound with the Remedy Bound with the Remedy

London, Richard and John E. Taylor/W. Clowes & Sons, 1839. First Edition. Hardcover. Later polished calf-backed boards with matching calf corners; [2], 467-507, [1]; 152; [2], 152 pages. A fascinating compilation of these three works. The first, an extract from a periodical, is a review of three works: THE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE by Buxton; CORRESPONDENCE RELATING TO THE SLAVE TRADE presented to both Houses of Parliament, 1838-39; and ESCLAVAGE ET TRAITE by Agenor de Gasparin, 1838. The second, titled THE REMEDY without a proper title page and date but printed by W. Clowe & Sons, begins with the published introduction to the finished book but with variations in the text from the published version, starting in the very first paragraph. The third item has a proper title page and is also printed by W. Clowes & Sons with a statement at the bottom of the title page: "This Edition is not to be Published." It too differs from the published version and has slight differences from the other version included here. The purpose of the third item is revealed by Buxton in the preface to the published edition of THE REMEDY: "As the remedy I contemplate is now, for the first time, published, it is necessary to explain the reason why it has hitherto been withheld. In the spring of 1838, I stated to several members of the cabinet my views as to the suppression of the Slave Trade. I could not reasonably expect, that, in the extreme pressure of business during the sitting of Parliament, they would be able to find time to give it the consideration it required, I therefore prepared for the press and printed a few copies of my work--describing the horrors of the Slave Trade, and proposing a remedy, for the private use of the members of the administration, and placed these in their hands on the day that the session closed." This is certainly one of those copies and as such is quite scarce. What version the second item in this volume is remains a mystery, but clearly this is an early and scarce variant. Paper split at front gutter but covers firm. Near Fine Buxton believed that the only way to suppress the African slave trade was to promote "legitimate commerce" and that this new trade would launch Africa on the road to moral and material progress, a belief that eventually became conventional wisdom in mid-19th-century Britain.

Charles AgventProfessional seller

Book number: 021994

Catalogue: African-American History

Keywords: Slavery, Americana, Black History, 19th Century, African-American History, Abolitionism African-American History Slavery Abolitionism

CHILD, Mrs. [Lydia Maria]

An Appeal in Favor of That Class of Americans Called Africans

Boston, Allen and Ticknor, 1833. First Edition. Hardcover. Original blue-green cloth (4-3/4" x 7-3/4") rebacked with original spine and spine label; [vi], 232 pages with tipped-in errata slip. Housed in a handsome gilt-lettered blue morocco-backed blue cloth clamshell box. Illustrated with 3 steel engravings: the iconic frontispiece of an enslaved woman from an 1827 painting by Henry Thomson, the full-page engraving of slave manacles and torture devices, and the full-page engraving of Mungo Park and an African woman. This revolutionary work by one of the first Americans to speak out against the institution of slavery was a central document of the abolitionist movement. Child, a popular author and founder of America's first children's magazine, JUVENILE MISCELLANY, was met with public outrage when APPEAL appeared. Two months after its publication, mob violence against abolitionists broke out across the country. Unlike many abolitionists Child believed that racial prejudice in the North was almost as bad as slavery in the South. Senator Charles Sumner, one of the most important of those who influenced Lincoln to issue his Emancipation Proclamation, credited APPEAL with awakening him to the injustice of slavery. Frederick Douglass said APPEAL "issued, as it was, at an early stage in the antislavery conflict, was one of the most effective agencies in arousing attention to the cruelty and injustice of slavery" (LIFE AND TIMES, pages 470-471). Child collected an enormous amount of data to prove the equality of blacks, insisting that racial prejudice had no legitimate basis and that blacks and whites should live together as equals, even as husbands and wives. The 8 chapters of the book survey the history of slavery and the African slave trade, describing American slave law as the harshest in the world. Despite the emotional and financial hardships she suffered as a result of her book, Child refused to be silenced. Text and plates fresh, cloth bright with minor expert restoration to the original spine label. Highly desirable, close to Fine. Exceptional in this condition .

Charles AgventProfessional seller

Book number: 021977

Catalogue: African-American History

Keywords: Slavery, African-American History, African-Americana, Abolition Movement, Women's Literature Abolition Movement Slavery African-American History African-Americana

DAVIDSON, John Nelson

Negro Slavery in Wisconsin and the Underground Railroad

Milwaukee, WI, Parkman Club Publications, 14 September 1897. First Edition. Softcover. Stapled printed green wraps (6-5/8" x 9-1/2"); 211-244 pages plus blank and covers. The Ordinance of 1787 forbade the practice of slavery or involuntary servitude in any form in the Northwest Territory, making it a crime to own and possess humans as slaves. Despite federal law making it a crime to own and possess humans as slaves, slavery existed in Wisconsin. This paper describes a number of case histories, mostly of those bringing slaves to Wisconsin from other states, and the various reactions of Wisconsin residents. Mostly unopened. Rear wrap neatly detached. Very Good and quite uncommon .

Charles AgventProfessional seller

Book number: 021571

Catalogue: African-American History

Keywords: Slavery, Americana, Black History, 19th Century, African-American History, African-American Literature African-American History Slavery African-American Literature Literature: American

DOUGLASS, Frederick

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself

Boston, Anti-Slavery Office, 1845. First Edition. Wraps. Stitched wraps. Illustrated with a frontispiece portrait of Douglass. xvi, 125 pages. Preface by William Lloyd Garrison and printing a letter by Wendell Phillips. Douglass's first book and the preeminent slave narrative of the 19th century. A rare copy apparently issued in wraps with some of the original paper from the cover still present on the spine. The first page is the portrait, printed on heavier paper, with one rear endpaper. Foxing to portrait and title page, text generally clean. Small tears to rear endpaper, soiling to recto of frontispiece. Very Good and rare in this format .

Charles AgventProfessional seller

Book number: 021999

Catalogue: African-American History

Keywords: African-American History, Frederick Douglass, Slavery, Americana, First Book, Black History, 19th Century Slavery Autobiography African-American History Literature: American

HOWARD, Benjamin C

A Report of the Decision of the Supreme Court of the United States, and the Opinions of the Judges Thereof, in the Case of Dred Scott Vs. John F.A. Sandford. December Term 1856

New York, D. Appleton and Company, 1857. First Edition. Softcover. Printed wraps lacking the front cover; complete, pages 393-633 [240 pages]. Grolier American 68; Howes S218; Sabin 33240. One of two simultaneous printings, the other in Washington D.C. for which no precedence has been established. The opinion of the court in this case constitutes the contents of this very important document. Dred Scott was a slave who sued for his freedom in 1846 because he lived for a time in free states before returning with his owner to Missouri, a slave state. He won the initial case but lost on appeal and then filed suit in federal court. The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, voted 7-2 against Scott's appeal, declaring that all blacks, slaves or free, were not and never could become citizens of the United States. The court also declared the 1820 Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, thus permitting slavery in all of the country's territories. This decision was the catalyst of a fierce debate in American society and is often considered to be one of the underlying causes of the start of the Civil War. Paper age toned, stitching a bit loose resulting in several detached pages; front wrapper lacking, rear detached, with some chipping to the edges. A Good copy only but complete and original with no library markings .

Charles AgventProfessional seller

Book number: 018470

Catalogue: African-American History

Keywords: Americana, 19th Century, Slavery, Supreme Court, Civil War Slavery African-Americana Americana Black History

JORDAN, Lewis G

On Two Hemispheres. Bits from the Life Story of Lewis G. Jordan, As Told by Himself

n.p. The Author, [1934?]. First Edition. Wraps. Printed yellow wraps (5-1/4" x 7-1/2"); 80 pages. Illustrated with photographs and a color folding map. Introduction by Adam Clayton Powell Sr. In this scarce autobiography, Lewis Garnett Jordan (1853-1939) describes his early life as a slave in Mississippi and the travails he and his mother endured as well as the hardships he suffered after the conclusion of the Civil War. Jordan had no name until he was asked for one by a teacher in a Union camp and he responded by giving the first names of soldiers who had been kind to him. From his spartan and cruel roots, Jordan was ordained a Baptist preacher in 1874. In addition to describing his early enslaved life, Jordan also describes his religious endeavors including his missionary work in Africa. He would later write a book titled NEGRO BAPTIST HISTORY U.S.A. 1750-1930. Not in BLOCKSON or WORK. Just about Fine and quite scarce .

Charles AgventProfessional seller

Book number: 022000

Catalogue: African-American History

Keywords: African-American History, Slavery, Americana, Black History, 19th Century Slavery Autobiography African-American History Literature: American

[KING, Martin Luther, Jr.] [Martin Luther King, Jr.]

Martin Luther King, Jr. Assassination Original Teletype Pages

5 April 1968. Document. Group of original teletype dispatches dated 5 April 1968 covering the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. comprised of three pieces. 1. Third World News Roundup (8-1/2" x 28-1/2"). "A stunned nation reacts to the death of Martin Luther King .. President Johnson reacts by calling Negro leaders to the White House .. For the moment, at least, no one is sure which direction the Civil Rights movement of the nation will take." 2. Sixth World in Brief (8-1/2" x 34"). "Reaction to the slaying of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr .. Some of it prayerful .. some violent.. Top stories of the hour from United Press International .. URGENT .. Black Power militant Stokely Carmichael has called for retaliation for what he called the 'execution' of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He told newsmen in Washington today 'our retaliation won't be in the courtroom but in the streets of America.' He said that negroes 'know they have to get guns.' .. Senator Robert Kennedy chartered the plane for King's widow.." Goes on to include other headlines from around the globe, including the Vietnam War. 3. "REPEATING --- BULLETIN --- (Washington) (8-1/2" x 7"). President Johnson has proclaimed Sunday a national day of mourning for slain Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King." Scarce. Light, expected wear for these fragile items; paper yellowed. Very Good .

Charles AgventProfessional seller

Book number: 021596

Catalogue: African-American History

Keywords: African-American History, Americana, Martin Luther King, Jr., Black History Black History African-American History Americana Martin Luther King, Jr.

[AFRICAN-AMERICANA] LINCOLN, Abraham

Thirteenth Amendment. Joint Resolution of the Thirty Eighth Congress... Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution... Abolishing Slavery. Resolved

Chicago, Western Bank Note & Engraving Co. 1868. First Edition. Document. Large folio (16-1/4" x 21-3/4") finely engraved and printed on good quality paper with elaborate decorative borders with a "US" monogram to upper corners, a bold calligraphic heading with "ABOLISHING SLAVERY" in prominent decorated letters; at top center is a small vignette of the pyramid and all-seeing eye above an oval vignette of a slave family with child mourning over a cameo portrait of Lincoln. This is followed by the engraved signatures of President Lincoln, Vice President Hamlin, Schuyler Colfax and J. W. Forney (Speaker and Secretary of the Senate), and 164 Senators and Congressmen. An exceedingly rare and beautiful printing of the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude .. Shall exist within the United States.." This elaborately engraved Reconstruction-era broadside, is based on the special "souvenir" copies on parchment signed by Lincoln and the others, of which only a handful are known to have been made. The Thirteenth Amendment represents the first substantive change to how America interpreted those liberties guaranteed by the Bill of Rights since its ratification in 1791. The Emancipation Proclamation only freed the slaves in the openly rebellious states. The Amendment effectively put an end to slavery once and for all upon its passage on 1 February 1865. Recently backed with thin paper with several professional repairs of chips and tears. Very Good .

Charles AgventProfessional seller

Book number: 019219

Catalogue: African-American History

Keywords: Abraham Lincoln, Slavery, Americana, Black History, 19th Century, African-American History, Civil War African-American History Slavery Americana Civil War

ROBERTS, Robert

The House Servant's Directory, or a Monitor for Private Families: Comprising Hints on the Arrangement and Performance of Servants' Work, with General Rules for Setting out Tables and Sideboards in First Order; the Art of Waiting in All Its Branches; and Likewise How to Conduct Large and Small Parties with Order; with General Directions for Placing on Table All Kinds of Joints, Fish, Fowl, &C. With Full Instructions for Cleaning Plate, Brass, Steel, Glass, Mahogany; and Likewise All Kinds of Patent and Common Lamps: Observations on Servants' Behaviour to Their Employers; and Upwards of 100 Various and Useful Receipts, Chiefly Compiled for the Use of House Servants; and Identically Made to Suit the Manners and Customs of Families in the United States with Friendly Advice to Cooks and Heads of Families; and Complete Directions How to Burn Lehigh Coal

Boston & New York, Munroe and Francis; Charles S. Francis, 1828. Second Edition. Hardcover. Duodecimo (4-1/4" x 6-3/4") bound in contemporary calf, recently and neatly rebacked; 180 pages. A rare example of the FIRST COMMERCIALLY PUBLISHED BOOK WRITTEN BY AN AFRICAN AMERICAN IN THE UNITED STATES and THE FIRST COOKBOOK WRITTEN BY AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN. A guide for house servants to help them to understand the rules of keeping a prominent white household, it includes recipes and advice to black servants on how to properly clean plates, what to wear, what time to arise for work, how to deal with drunk people, how to restore furniture, and how to take care of themselves. More household-management manual than cookbook, Roberts gives suggestions for employers on how to manage domestic help (very unusual for the time), but he was more interested in teaching young black men how to succeed in their work and ensure their advancement. Roberts begins the book: "In order to get through your work in proper time, you should make it your chief study to rise early in the morning; for an hour before the family rises is worth more to you than two after they are up." The author was a butler at the country estate of U.S. senator and governor of Massachusetts, Christopher Gore, a friend of Daniel Webster's. The First Edition was published the year before, 1827. This edition seems to be just as scarce. A Fine example of this scarce title BLOCKSON COLLECTION, 9537 (1969 reprint); LONGONE CATALOGUE, page 2: "Although only two other editions of Roberts's book are recorded, some historians think that this work was seminal in producing men of singular ability as caterers, and managers -- rather than servants -- of large households"; Lowenstein, AMERICAN COOKERY BOOKS, 107; Weinstein, AGAINST THE TIDE 57: "Roberts also published the only substantial work by an abolitionist, black or white, to contain neither hint nor trace of race"; not in WORK.

Charles AgventProfessional seller

Book number: 021250

Catalogue: African-American History

Keywords: Americana, 19th Century, Home Management, Cookbooks, Slavery, First Book, First Books, Cookery, African-Americana, African-American History, Black History, Cook Books Cookery African-American History Cookbooks Black History

THOMPSON, George

Letters and Addresses by George Thompson During His Mission in the United States from Oct. 1st, 1834, to Nov. 27, 1835

Boston, Isaac Knapp, 1837. First Edition. Hardcover. Original cloth-backed printed boards (4" x 5-3/4"); xii, 126 pages. Complete with a printed note from William Lloyd Garrison. George Thompson was well-known to anti-slavery activists on both sides of the Atlantic. He was a powerful orator and fought for abolition throughout his personal and professional career, often risking his life in the process. “During the fifteen months from August 1834 to November 1835 nothing caused so much excitement in the American press, both pro-slavery and abolitionist, as the anti-slavery mission of the British reformer George Thompson” (Rice, C. Duncan; JOURNAL OF AMERICAN STUDIES, Vol. 2, No. 1, April 1968). Private library number in ink at top of title page, contents quite clean; front endpaper lacking; hinges cracked but holding. Some edgewear and staining to covers. Very Good .

Charles AgventProfessional seller

Book number: 021578

Catalogue: African-American History

Keywords: Slavery, Americana, Black History, 19th Century, African-American History, African-American Literature African-American History Slavery Children's Literature Literature: American