John Adams Signed American Revolution-Igniting Copy of Mayhew's Highly Influential "Discourse..." Resistance to King!
John Adams
Boston, MA, ca. 1818
John Adams Signed American Revolution-Igniting Copy of Mayhew's Highly Influential "Discourse..." Resistance to King!
Signed book
A signed presentation copy of Jonathan Mayhew's "A Discourse, Concerning Unlimited Submission and Non-Resistance to the Higher Powers; with some reflections on the resistance made to King Charles I." Boston: Re-Printed by Hall & Goss, 1818. 48pp. Inscribed on the title page in a separate hand, "Presented to Mary Sophia Quincy/ Nov 15th 1818 by-", to which Adams adds his bold signature, "John Adams". Mary Sophia Quincy (1805-1886) was the daughter of Josiah Quincy III (1772-1864), mayor of Boston and President of Harvard University, and a relation of Adams on his wife's side. Signed just one month after the death of Abigail Adams, the former president's own failing health may explain why he chose to dictate the personalization. Attractively rebound utilizing the original boards, with modern gilt stamping at spine. Scattered foxing with gentle age toning to the interior pages; minor chipping to edges. Stiff binding throughout. Otherwise, very good. Accompanied by a full Letter of Authenticity from Beckett. An extraordinary association volume linking John Adams, religion, and the intellectual origins of the American Revolution.
This same book (though before it was tastefully conserved and rebound, incorporating its original boards) previously sold at Heritage Auctions in 2017, in a much weaker market for material of this association, for $27,500 including the buyer's premium. More to the point of value, an Adams-signed "Defense of the Constitutions," of which several exist, sold at RR Auction for $81,250 in 2023, and it, unlike the present example, was only signed as "The Author". Another Adams-signed example fetched $115,000 at a Profiles in History auction in 2013. While these comparable books are highly desirable in the market, we know of no book other than the present example that is so closely tied to launching American Independence.
Four months earlier on July 18, 1818, Adams wrote to Thomas Jefferson enclosing the same reprinting of Mayhew's sermon, noting that "[this] discourse was printed, a Year before I entered Harvard Colledge [sic] and I read it, till the Substance of it, was incorporated into my Nature…." This shows that, even over 40 years after independence was declared, Adams still considered Mayhew's work an important resource worthy of the Founding Father's attention. Indeed, reflecting on the origins of the Revolution in his retirement, Adams credited the sermon with helping to shape public opinion on the need for - and the legitimacy of - political resistance.
Despite its provocative title, Mayhew's celebrated discourse was emphatically not an argument for unconditional obedience to a king. Originally delivered as a sermon in 1750, he took a passage from Romans 13:1–7 - "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers" - traditionally invoked in defense of obedience, and turned it on its head. Commenting on the regicide of Charles I during the English Revolution, he concluded that the British people were ultimately justified in preserving their rights against a tyrannical monarch.
This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.
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John Adams
Boston, MA, ca. 1818
John Adams Signed American Revolution-Igniting Copy of Mayhew's Highly Influential "Discourse..." Resistance to King!
Signed book
A signed presentation copy of Jonathan Mayhew's "A Discourse, Concerning Unlimited Submission and Non-Resistance to the Higher Powers; with some reflections on the resistance made to King Charles I." Boston: Re-Printed by Hall & Goss, 1818. 48pp. Inscribed on the title page in a separate hand, "Presented to Mary Sophia Quincy/ Nov 15th 1818 by-", to which Adams adds his bold signature, "John Adams". Mary Sophia Quincy (1805-1886) was the daughter of Josiah Quincy III (1772-1864), mayor of Boston and President of Harvard University, and a relation of Adams on his wife's side. Signed just one month after the death of Abigail Adams, the former president's own failing health may explain why he chose to dictate the personalization. Attractively rebound utilizing the original boards, with modern gilt stamping at spine. Scattered foxing with gentle age toning to the interior pages; minor chipping to edges. Stiff binding throughout. Otherwise, very good. Accompanied by a full Letter of Authenticity from Beckett. An extraordinary association volume linking John Adams, religion, and the intellectual origins of the American Revolution.
This same book (though before it was tastefully conserved and rebound, incorporating its original boards) previously sold at Heritage Auctions in 2017, in a much weaker market for material of this association, for $27,500 including the buyer's premium. More to the point of value, an Adams-signed "Defense of the Constitutions," of which several exist, sold at RR Auction for $81,250 in 2023, and it, unlike the present example, was only signed as "The Author". Another Adams-signed example fetched $115,000 at a Profiles in History auction in 2013. While these comparable books are highly desirable in the market, we know of no book other than the present example that is so closely tied to launching American Independence.
Four months earlier on July 18, 1818, Adams wrote to Thomas Jefferson enclosing the same reprinting of Mayhew's sermon, noting that "[this] discourse was printed, a Year before I entered Harvard Colledge [sic] and I read it, till the Substance of it, was incorporated into my Nature…." This shows that, even over 40 years after independence was declared, Adams still considered Mayhew's work an important resource worthy of the Founding Father's attention. Indeed, reflecting on the origins of the Revolution in his retirement, Adams credited the sermon with helping to shape public opinion on the need for - and the legitimacy of - political resistance.
Despite its provocative title, Mayhew's celebrated discourse was emphatically not an argument for unconditional obedience to a king. Originally delivered as a sermon in 1750, he took a passage from Romans 13:1–7 - "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers" - traditionally invoked in defense of obedience, and turned it on its head. Commenting on the regicide of Charles I during the English Revolution, he concluded that the British people were ultimately justified in preserving their rights against a tyrannical monarch.
This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.
WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
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