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1775 Important Sermon Preached Just After the Battles of Lexington and Concord

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:1,800.00 USD Estimated At:2,400.00 - 3,600.00 USD
1775 Important Sermon Preached Just After the Battles of Lexington and Concord
American Revolution
July 19, 1775 Important Sermon Printed by Benjamin Edes

Preached After the Battles of Lexington & Concord Rarity

and with Content on Bunker Hill with

Interesting Commentary on the “Role of Jews” in History
July 19, 1775-Dated Revolutionary War, Rare Historic First Edition Printing of “Mr. Gordon’s Sermon Preached before the House of Representatives”, Printed and Sold in 1775 by Benjamin Edes of Watertown, MA., 29 pages, Complete, Choice Very Fine.
This rare First Edition Revolutionary War Imprint is titled: “A Sermon Preached Before the Honorable House of Representatives, on the Day Intended for the Choice of Counsellors, Agreeable to the Advice of the Continental Congress”. Printed and Sold in 1775 by Benjamin Edes of Watertown, MA.

In addition to participating in the Boston Tea Party, Edes was a journalist and a political agitator. He, along with John Gill, were the publishers of “The Boston Gazette,” a newspaper which helped spark and helped to finance the Boston Tea Party, as well as being very influential throughout the Revolutionary War. During the Siege of Boston, Edes escaped to Watertown, Massachusetts where he continued to publish the Boston Gazette newspaper and other imprints. This nice example with Contemporary Ownership Inscription on front wrapper as owned by: “Rev’d Stone / Reading” (MA.). Untrimmed pages at bottom and right edges, trimmed along the top edge, stitched into modern marbled wrappers, 29 pages plus half-title cover, measuring 8” x 5.25”. Nice clean crisp fresh laid period paper.

An attractive Woodblock Ornamental Design Print is located on the final concluding page 29. Content on Bunker Hill and includes an interesting commentary on the role of Jews in history... likening Americans to the early Children of Israel, Gordon -- author of the "first full-scale history of this War by an American" (per Howes) -- admonishes those who "tremble at the thoughts of that power with whom we are to contend."

Listing America's advantages in the struggle, he says: "God has wonderfully appeared for us, crowning our military operations with unusual success, and disconcerting those of the enemy." The unity of the Colonies, their distance from England, the British debt and "most alarming prospects to the merchant," and our "officers of courage" will win the day. This historic sermon and imprint was an important followup to the Battles of Lexington and Concord earlier in the year, in which Watertown supported the Patriot cause with 134 Minutemen.

Reverend Gordon was an American Patriot who, in 1775, was made the Chaplain to both houses of the Provincial Congress assembled at Watertown. Published by request of the Mass. House of Representatives. This celebrated Sermon was delivered at Watertown on the 19th July, about a month after the Battle of Bunker Hill, and nearly a year before the Declaration of Independence was signed. The General Court was in Session there, having been driven out of Boston by the British Troops. William Gordon, one of the first American historians of the Revolutionary War period, reflects on the situation of the Continental Congress in this Sermon before the General Court of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress on July 19, 1775.

"He who does not mean to bear a part in the public burdens of the day, but to escape wholly unhurt in property and person is no patriot; while he that, instead of serving, designs only to serve himself of the public, to acquire riches and raise a fortune out of the general calamity, must be really the worst of men, cannot deserve the protection of the state, and when discover'd must be detested by every true son and daughter of liberty, as being a most odious character."

See: American Independence 168. ESTC W3243. Evans 14073. Sabin 28010.
Benjamin Edes was born on October 14th, 1732 in Charlestown, Massachusetts. In addition to participating in the Boston Tea Party, Edes was a journalist and a political agitator. He, along with John Gill, were the publishers of the Boston Gazette, a newspaper which helped spark and helped to finance the Boston Tea Party, as well as being very influential throughout the Revolutionary War.

Edes favored American Independence in his writings; he fought the British Crown’s policy through written attacks on the Stamp Act, the Tea Tax, the Townshend Acts, and other oppressive measures.

During the Siege of Boston, Edes escaped to Watertown, Massachusetts where he continued to publish the Gazette until 1798 (43 years after he started it). He died on December 11th, 1803 in Boston and is buried at Copp’s Hill Burying Ground.

William Gordon (1728-1807). Pastor of the Third Church in Roxbury (MA.), Gordon "was a vigorous partisan of American Independence and in 1775 was made chaplain to both houses of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress assembled at Watertown. Congress possessed great confidence in him and voted him a good horse and access to the prisoners of war.

Benjamin Edes (October 15, 1732 – December 11, 1803) was an early American printer, publisher, newspaper journalist and a revolutionary advocate before and during the American Revolution. He is best known, along with John Gill, as the publisher of the Boston Gazette, a colonial newspaper which sparked and financed the Boston Tea Party and was influential during the American Revolutionary War.