TRAITE D'AMITIE ET DE COMMERCE, CONLU ENTRE LE ROI ET LES ETATS-UNIS DE L'AMERIQUE SEPTENTRIONALE, LE 6 FEVRIER, 1778

Book Description

Paris: de l'Imprimerie Royale, 1778.. 23pp. Quarto. Gathered signatures. Outer leaf separated along lower half of spine. Old ink note on titlepage. Light foxing, slight soiling in margins of outer leaves. Overall, very good. In a half morocco and marbled folder within a red morocco and marbled paper slipcase. The official French printing of the first French-American treaty, the first treaty between the United States and any other country, and a decisive moment in the American Revolution. Having struggled to find allies in their fight against England, the fledgling United States achieved recognition from France when news of Burgoyne's defeat reached Paris. In February 1778 the American commissioners, Benjamin Franklin, Arthur Lee, and Silas Deane, negotiated both the treaty of amity and commerce, published herein, and a treaty of military alliance. Because France wished to consult with its ally, Spain, the alliance treaty was not immediately published in France, and probably first appeared in print in Philadelphia; the amity and commerce treaty was published immediately, however, first appearing in this Paris edition. France and the United States grant each other most- favored-nation trade status and agree to protect each others' commercial vessels. Both parties also agree to abstain from fishing in each others' waters, with the United States especially agreeing to refrain from fishing on the banks of Newfoundland. Howes records two Paris editions of 1778: this official twenty-three-page printing, and another of eight pages, both of which appear in the NUC, and OCLC records regional printings in Aix and possibly Grenoble. The NUC locates seven copies of this official royal printing. In twenty-five years, this is only the second copy of this Paris printing that we have handled. A rare edition of a treaty of the greatest importance to the United States, marking its first recognition by another power and the beginning of a relationship crucial to the winning of American independence. BRUNET I:12. MALLOY, p.468. SABIN 96565. HOWES T328. ECHEVERRIA & WILKIE 778/36. STREETER SALE 791.

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