Colonial America
1772 Paul Revere Engraved Metal Cut Illustration Prints Including the Historic Portrait of Patriot John Dickinson
(PAUL REVERE, JR.) 1772-Dated Colonial Pre-Revolutionary War Period, Imprint entitled, "An Astronomical Diary or Almanack for the Year of Our Lord Christ 1772," containing Three of Paul Revere Engravings, plus including the historically important, "Letters From a Pennsylvania Farmer" having a historic Portrait of Patriot John Dickinson, and a metal-cut of "Mrs. Catharine McCaulay," plus the Cover Illustration of the Dwarf Emma Leach, as compiled by Nathaniel Ames, Choice Very Fine.
Rarely offered original Boston Almanac was published late in 1771 for the coming year of 1772. It contains 24 printed pages with some contemporary note pages at its conclusion, measures 6" x 4" and includes Three (3) different Metal-Cut Engravings made by the famous American Patriot and Silversmith Paul Revere, Jr. as recorded in the reference, PAUL REVERE'S ENGRAVINGS, 1954, by Clarence S. Brigham, copyright by the American Antiquarian Society. As reported by the American Antiquarian Society, this almanac: "One of two editions of Ames for 1772, the other printed for Ezekiel Russell. This edition is presumably that of Fleets, Edes, and Gill, although there is no printer's imprint. It is doubtlessly the (contemporary) pirated edition anticipated by Russell."
Illustration of John Dickinson (1732-1808) a Founding Father of the United States, is titled below "THE PATRIOTIC AMERICAN FARMER," where Dickinson is shown in 2/3rds portrait holding a scroll titled "FARMER'S LETTERS" in his hand, as his arm rests on a pedestal titled "MAGNA CHARTA".
Mrs. Catherine M'Caulay (1731-1791) also received a full page Engraving. Between 1763 and 1783 Macaulay wrote, in eight volumes, "The History of England...". She was personally associated with many leading figures among the American Revolutionaries. She was the first English radical to visit America after Independence, staying from July 15, 1784 to July 17, 1785. Macaulay visited James Otis and his sister Mercy Otis Warren. Mercy wrote afterwards that Macaulay was, "a lady whose Resources of knowledge seem to be almost inexhaustible" and wrote to John Adams that she was "a Lady of most Extraordinary talent, a Commanding Genius and Brilliance of thought." According to Mercy's biographer, Macaulay had "a more profound influence on Mercy than had any other woman of her era". She then visited New York and met Richard Henry Lee, who afterwards thanked Samuel Adams for introducing him to "this excellent Lady". Upon the recommendation of Lee and Henry Knox, Macaulay stayed at Mount Vernon with George Washington and his family. Afterwards, George Washington wrote to Henry Lee of his pleasure at meeting "a Lady... whose principles are so much and so justly admired by the friends of liberty and mankind".
They are copies or versions of the three cuts in Russell's editions of Ames, two of which were by Paul Revere. Evidently these versions are also by Revere, as an entry in his Day Book for December 21, 1771, records a charge against Edes and Gill, 'to engraving 3 plates for Ames' almanack.' The evidence suggests that Edes & Gill secured a copy of Russell's edition on the day it appeared, and ordered reproductions of the plates from Paul Revere."
There is the Revere engraved metal-cut plate of Mrs. Catherine M'Caulay, who was a popular British historian, sympathetic to the rights of the Americans. The full-page metal cut of "The Patriotic American Farmer. J-N D-K-NS-N, Esq; Barrister at Law" contains the text lines, "Who with attic eloquence, and Roman spirit, hath affected the Liberties of the British Colonies in America," and is followed by the poem titled, "Tis nobly done to stem Taxation's rage, and raise the thoughts of a degenerate age, For Happiness and Joy, from Freedom spring; But Life in Bondage is a worthless Thing."
This particular example, measures 6" x 4" somewhat tightly trimmed at bottom, and has 8 blank pages at the end which are filled with a handwritten account of expenses, including 3 entries for chocolate! It has some light tone with a slight stain at the top of the front cover. The pages are still well bound together. Overall, a fine quality early American Colonial Boston Almanac, graced with three important original Paul Revere Engravings.
John Dickinson (November 8, 1732" February 14, 1808), was a Founding Father of the United States, was a solicitor and politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Wilmington, Delaware known as the "Penman of the Revolution" for his twelve Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, published individually in 1767 and 1768.
Dickinson was one of Pennsylvania delegates to the First Continental Congress in 1774 and the Second Continental Congress in 1775 and 1776. In support of the cause, he continued to contribute declarations in the name of the Congress. Dickinson wrote the "Olive Branch Petition" as the Second Continental Congress' last attempt for peace with Britain (King George III did not even read the petition). Also as a member of the First Continental Congress, where he was a signee to the Continental Association.
Dickinson drafted most of the 1774 Petition to the King, and then as a member of the Second Continental Congress wrote the 1775 Olive Branch Petition, two attempts to negotiate with King George III of Great Britain. When these failed, he reworked Thomas Jefferson's language and wrote the final draft of the 1775 Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms.
When Congress then decided to seek independence, Dickinson served on the committee that wrote the Model Treaty, and then wrote the first draft of the 1776"1777 Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union.
Dickinson later served as President of the 1786 Annapolis Convention, which called for the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which Dickinson then attended as a delegate from Delaware.
He also wrote "The Liberty Song" in 1768, was a militia officer during the American Revolution, President of Delaware, President of Pennsylvania, and was among the wealthiest men in the British American colonies.
Upon Dickinson's death, President Thomas Jefferson recognized him as being "Among the first of the advocates for the rights of his country when assailed by Great Britain whose "name will be consecrated in history as one of the great worthies of the Revolution."
Together with his wife, Mary Norris Dickinson, he is the namesake of Dickinson College (originally John and Mary's College), as well as of the Dickinson School of Law of Pennsylvania State University and the University of Delaware's Dickinson Complex. John Dickinson High School was opened/dedicated in 1959 as part of the public schools in northern Delaware.