Heading:
Author:
Title: Wilkes, George
Place Published: Project of a National Railroad From the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, for the Purpose of Obtaining a Short Route to Oregon and the Indies
Publisher:New York
Date Published: Published for the Author [by Burgess & Stringer]
Description: 184523 pp. 22x14 cm (8¾x5½"), original yellow printed front wrapper. First Separate Edition.Early proposal for a transcontinental railroad and expansion of America's influence: "The railroad is the Great Negotiator, which alone can settle our title more conclusively than all the diplomats in the world... Arouse then, America, and obey the mandate which Destiny has imposed upon you for the redemption of a world!" Howes describes it as "One of the earliest transcontinental agitations; framed while California was still a Mexican province, an Oregon terminus was planned." Though styled "second edition" on the title page, this is actually the first separate edition, as the previous publication had been as a portion of Wilkes' History of Oregon. This would appear to be a second issue of this separate edition, with the Preface dated November 1845 and not June 1845. It was not issued with a map, though one appeared in later editions. Howes W419; Sabin 103999.

Front wrapper detached, large piece of top right corner torn away affecting some text, smaller piece missing from top left corner, rubberstamp and ink 1" in a circle; rear wrapper not present; ink date at top of title page