The Jubilee of the Constitution: A Discourse.

ADAMS, John Quincy.

Item Number: 54005

New York: Samuel Colman, 1839.

First edition of this speech by John Quincy Adams on the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Inauguration of George Washington as President of the United States, 1789. Octavo, bound in contemporary three quarters leather. Inscribed by the author on the half-title page, “To Josiah Quincy jun from John Quincy Adams.” The recipient Josiah Quincy Jr., served as the Mayor of Boston (1845-1849) and Treasurer of the Boston Athenaeum (1837-1852). He was instrumental in the establishment of the Massachusetts Board of Education and built the Josiah Quincy Mansion in 1848. In near fine condition. A nice association.

One of the greatest diplomats and secretaries of state in American history, John Quincy Adams is best known for his historic role in the development American foreign policy; staunchly defending the ideals of liberty, nonintervention, and freedom of commerce. A Harvard trained lawyer, Adams was notorious for his fervently nationalist commitment to U.S. republican values and classical liberal ideals. After serving as the sixth president of the United States from 1825 to 1829, Adams was elected as the United States Representative of Massachusetts and became a leading proponent for the abolition of slavery. The Jubilee of the Constitution was delivered by Adams at the request of the New York Historical Society on Tuesday, April 30th 1839, marking the fiftieth anniversary of the inauguration of George Washington. In the discourse, Adams examined the historic roots of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States, arguing for the unification of the United States and against the limitations placed upon the central government in the recent Articles of Confederation.