1791 - Thomas Paine RIGHTS OF MAN- *RARE* 2nd Edition

Description: ***Only true second edition I currently see for sale. Approximately 100 copies of the first edition were printed but far fewer remain after the English government seized and destroyed as many copies of the “seditious” book as possible. The English crown and government - freshly pained by the loss of its American colonies to the American Revolution and fearful the ideas in Rights of Man would encourage a revolution in England as recently had befallen France—tried in vain to eliminate/ suppress the philosophies espoused in the book. They failed. The revolutionary ideas in the book on the natural rights of man and when it is justifiable to overthrow a government couldn’t be contained, spreading like wildfire as subsequent printings were quickly published in England and around the world. Surviving true first printings are VERY RARE. The last time a copy came up for auction it fetched $250,000. Much more common 3rd and 4th editions sell for $3,000 - $5,000. Full Title: Rights of Man: Being an Answer to Mr. Burke’s Attack on the French Revolution by Thomas Paine, Secretary for Foreign Affairs to Congress in the American War, and Author of the Work Entitled “Common Sense.” Published in 1791 by J. S. Jordan in London. Second edition, as listed on the title page. (In modern terms this would be considered a second printing as it was published a few short weeks/months after the first edition with no alteration except for the addition of a four-page preface). In nineteenth century full polished calf leather: single blind-stamped filet paneling; spine with five gilded raised bands with gilt-lettered red morocco leather label; all edges speckled. Octavo, four page preface, 171 pp. Lacking half-title and refreshed endpapers, otherwise complete. Condition info: VERY GOOD Thomas Paine (1736 – 1809) was an English-born American Founding Father, French Revolutionary, inventor, and political philosopher. He authored Common Sense (1776) and The American Crisis (1776–1783), two of the most influential pamphlets at the start of the American Revolution, and he helped to inspire the colonial era patriots in 1776 to declare independence from Great Britain. His ideas reflected Enlightenment-era ideals of human rights. Rights of Man posits that popular political revolution is permissible when a government does not safeguard the natural rights of its people. Using these points as a base it defends the French Revolution against Edmund Burke's attack in Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790). On January 31, 1791, he gave the manuscript to publisher Joseph Johnson. A visit by government agents dissuaded Johnson, so Paine gave the book to publisher J. S. Jordan, then went to Paris, on William Blake's advice. He charged three good friends, William Godwin, Thomas Brand Hollis, and Thomas Holcroft, with handling publication details. The book appeared on March 13, 1791, and sold nearly a million copies. It was "eagerly read by reformers, Protestant dissenters, democrats, London craftsmen, and the skilled factory-hands of the new industrial north". The British government of William Pitt the Younger was worried by the possibility that the French Revolution might spread to Britain and had begun suppressing works that espoused radical philosophies. Paine's work, Rights of Man, advocated the right of the people to overthrow their government and was therefore targeted with a writ for his arrest issued in early 1792. Paine fled to France in September, despite not being able to speak French, but he was quickly elected to the French National Convention. Condition Info: The exterior and binding is in FINE condition with only some light rubbing. The interior is Very Good - some sporadic foxing, heaviest on and near the endpapers. No writing but some faded pencil erasure marks on several blank fly leaves. Quite a few page corner creases. The occasional smudge or other sign of handling. Small sticker with the text “Cloonan” on rear pastedown. Please see pictures as they are an important part of the condition description. More pictures and info available upon request. Book will ship fully insured with signature required upon receipt for your protection. As a fellow book collector, I know how frustrating it can be when items aren’t accurately described or poorly packaged for shipping. That is why I (1) take a lot of pictures and try to describe condition issues as accurately as possible and (2) pack your book purchases with the utmost care before shipping. I have been selling and buying on eBay for over 10 years and have a 100% satisfaction rating, and offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee 30-day return policy. Please follow me as I have thousands of highly collectible books to list in the coming weeks and months!

Price: 8000 USD

Location: Litchfield Park, Arizona

End Time: 2024-11-04T22:19:11.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD