Description: Offered here is an extremely rare text entitled: The History Of The Rise, Increase, And Progress, Of the Christian People called Quakers: Intermixed with Several Remarkable Occurrences Written Originally in Low-Dutch, and also Translated into English, by William Sewel, published by Samuel Keimer [and Benjamin Franklin] (Philadelphia) in 1728, The Third Edition [First American Edition], 7 1/2" x 11 1/4"; 692pp. [ Addenda incomplete]. The full leather covers and spine have wear/ scuffing, spine label present, title page has signatures cut away from top and other edge wear, period ink signature/ notation (1730) found twice in text, pp. 149-152 are bound out of order, missing pp. 99-102 and last leaves of Addenda, p. 301 has quarter-sized hole in center, affecting some seven lines, some edge wear internally (first twenty pages and another twenty pages or so internally), a few bent or chipped corners/ few small edge tears, light toning, some minor light marginal stains, some minor foxing-- overall in very good condition. This text has an interesting publishing history in America. Samuel Keimer, Benjamin Franklin's former employer, was commissioned to print this text. Keimer was commissioned by the Friends to reprint this book, a job too big for him to handle. Earlier in 1728 Franklin had left Keimer’s employ, set up his own shop, and convinced the Friends to turn the job over to him, and finished off the last forty-four and a half sheets (178 pages) of the book in a matter of weeks. Thus Franklin got his start by stealing a job from his former boss. This first American edition of Sewel's history of the Quakers, partially printed by Benjamin Franklin—the first project of his new press, had its predecessors. First published in Amsterdam in the Dutch language in 1717, an English translation was soon made for the author. Andrew Bradford proposed an American edition in 1723, underwritten by Philadelphia Quakers. There was some confusion, and the Overseers ended up hiring Samuel Keimer to do the printing, while at the same time, Bradford sent out to London for the edition. There were hurt feelings all around. What ended up being the second overall London edition came out in 1725. The present edition is the one commissioned from Keimer, who finished only with the assistance of Ben Franklin, who had previously been Keimer's foreman. Franklin relates the story in his autobiography. Sewell has also revised the text for this edition and added footnotes. This is the first comprehensive history of the Society of Friends. Sewel, a Dutch historian, spent 25 years researching and writing it, meaning to correct the misrepresentations of Croese's Historia Quakeriana (1695). He drew upon his personal correspondence with with Quaker leaders, as well as the works of Fox, Ludlow, and Clarendon. Included is material on the history of Penn's establishment of Pennsylvania. The DNB writes of Sewell's work: "Its accuracy has never been impugned, and it remains a classical authority." Sewell's history has the distinction of being the first book published by Benjamin Franklin and printed by him in Philadelphia in 1728.
Price: 5500 USD
Location: Georgetown, Massachusetts
End Time: 2024-09-01T03:02:29.000Z
Shipping Cost: 0 USD
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Item Specifics
Restocking Fee: No
Return shipping will be paid by: Seller
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Binding: Leather
Language: English
Topic: Historical
Subject: History
Original/Facsimile: Original
