In 1774, a book was published entitled American Independence the Interest and Glory of Great Britain; Containing Arguments, which Prove, that Not Only in Taxation, but in Trade, Manufactures, and Government, the Colonies are Entitled to an Entire Independency on the British Legislature. You would think this was written by Franklin or some other American patriot, but in fact it was penned by Englishman John Cartwright and first printed in London. Few of the American revolutionaries reached such a bold conclusion this early on. This position was no help to Cartwright’s British naval career, but he would go on to have a long career as a reformer, promoting universal suffrage and abolition of slavery. Item 29 is the first American edition of his work printed in 1776. $6,500.

Two decades before the revolution, Henry McCulloch was advocating a union of the British colonies in America. McCulloch felt the colonies would be better able to defend themselves against enemies, notably France, if united. He also advocated more friendly relations with the Indians to draw them away from their alliances with the French. This was 1757, the time of the French and Indian War. Other, not so popular proposals McCulloch offered were a centralized tax and uniform currency. The piece is entitled Proposals for Uniting the Entire English Colonies on the Continent of America so as to Enable Them to Act with Force and Vigour Against their Enemies. Item 110. $6,000.

The Acts of Assembly, Now in Force in the Colony of Virginia… is a compilation of Virginia’s laws as of 1769. This copy of an important Virginia book belonged to and was signed by Benjamin Harrison, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and father and great-grandfather of two U.S. Presidents. Item 178. $8,500. Item 76, The Grievances of the American Colonies Candidly Examined was written by another signer of the Declaration of Independence, Stephen Hopkins. In this 1766 work he defends colonial protests against the Stamp Act. Hopkins was the first chancellor of Brown University, a Rhode Island governor, and a leader of the Revolutionary movement in that colony. $1,500.

Florida collectors will be interested in William Stork and John Bartram’s A Description of East Florida… Stork was a noted botanist who wrote about the plant life of the area. Reese describes this rare book as “one of the most important 18th-century works on Florida. Item 169. $18,500. Item 1 is a book about the Indians of this region and throughout the South. The History of the American Indians; Particularly those Nations Adjoining to the Missisippi [sic], East and West Florida, Georgia, South and North Carolina, and Virginia… was written in 1775 by James Adair. Adair was in the business of trading with the Indians and his book includes a chapter on each of the region’s major tribes. Adair also goes into a detailed argument for his belief that the Indians descended from the Lost Tribes of Israel. $7,500.

Speaking of the Indians, it would be hard to find a catalogue of books from this era without an Indian Captivity. James Seaver’s A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison… is the tale of a woman who was captured at age 12 by the Senecas after the rest of her family was slaughtered. Evidently Mrs. Jemison bore no grudges. She remained with the Senecas for the rest of her life, despite being free to return to white society, and she lived to be 90 years old. Item 153. $3,750.

The William Reese Company can be reached online at www.reeseco.com or by phone at 203-789-8081.