[HAMILTON, ALEXANDER] CALLENDER, JAMES T. The American Annual Register, or, Historical Memoirs of the United States, for the yea

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[HAMILTON, ALEXANDER]
CALLENDER, JAMES T. The American Annual Register, or, Historical Memoirs of the United States, for the year year 1796. Philadelphia: printed and sold by Bioren & Madan, no. 77, Dock-Street, January 19th, 1797. First edition. Modern cloth-backed boards. 8 1/2 x 5 inches (22 x 14 cm); vii, [1], 288 pp. Perforated stamp of the Louisville Public Library on the title and a couple of leaves and their number stamped at the foot of the contents leaf; an uncut copy, paper toned as usual, sporadic foxing. Signature of William Thomas Bassett at head of title; book label of William Safire.

James Thomson Callender was a scandalmongering journalist and political writer, who is perhaps best known for his 1802 series of newspaper articles stating that Thomas Jefferson had children with Sally Hemings. In the present work, he reported (in chapters 5 and 6) on Hamilton's supposed financial dishonesty, a claim that was repeated the same year in Callender's History of the United States for 1796, the publication of which was underwritten by Thomas Jefferson, Hamilton's political enemy. Ultimately, Callender's calumnies forced Hamilton to issue a printed refutation, in the so-called "Reynolds Pamphlet," which also addressed his liaison with Marie Reynolds, a married woman. The present work also contains a great wealth of political and diplomatic news of the period. Callender drowned in 1803 in the James River, apparently in a drunken stupor. Howes C 69; Evans 31905; ESTC W37185; Sabin, 10062.

C From the Collection of the late William Safire
Estimate $200-300

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