VERY RARE 1808, THOMAS CLARKSON, 'The ABOLITION of the AFRICAN SLAVE-TRADE,' VOLUMES 1 & 2, TRUE 1st ENGLISH EDITION, LEATHER-BOUND, with RARE, INTACT, ILLUSTRATED FOLDED WOODBLOCK PRINT PULL-OUTS on HEAVY COTTON RAG PAPER, featuring PRESSED HARDBOARD COVER & STAMPED, EMBOSSED GOLD, GILT TYPOGRAPHY on VOLUME'S LEATHER SPINE

[Leather spine on Volume II is still intact but with a loose front cover, while the two large folded, pull-out woodblock illustrations have no loss, rips or tears, with only minimal to moderate foxing & remain nearly undiminished on heavy white cotton rag paper. The front cover board of Volume I is split & broken away from the spine. This will need to be restored by a professional bookbinder or antiquarian book restorer.]

(Dated 1808)

Early 19th century English abolitionist literature and illustrated volumes depicting the illicit African slave trade and the trafficking of human beings from the African continent to the Americas against their will

'The History of the

Rise, Progress and Accomplishment

of THE ABOLITION of

the AFRICAN SLAVE-TRADE by THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT by THOMAS CLARKSON, M.A. in TWO VOLUMES.'

VOLUMES I & II., London:

Printed by R. Taylor and Co., Shoe-Lane,

for Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme,

Paternoster-Row.

1808.

Printed by Richard Taylor & Co. Shoe Lane

DIMENSIONS: 

8" Height x 5" Width x 1⁄2" Depth

 Weight: 2 lbs. 15 oz. (both volumes)

INFORMATION ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Thomas Clarkson (England, 1760-1846) was an active English proponent of the abolition of slavery and one of the United Kingdom's leading protagonists and vocal campaigners against the slave trade and trafficking of human beings in the vast British Empire, where British slave traders were often the entrepreneurial agents and malevolent actors, in this illicit kidnapping and transport by sea, of human beings from the African continent to the New World of the Americas, where the human 'cargo' would then be sold to the highest bidder, for a life of uncompensated servitude, toil and inhumane bondage, becoming the property of another human being, who purchased them on the open market, much as they would do livestock. Thomas Clarkson helped found The Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade and assisted with the passing of the Slave Trade Act of 1807, which essentially legally and legislatively terminated the long British involvement in the trading of African slaves. Clarkson, in his later years, would go on to campaign, much to the chagrin of the Dutch and others still involved in this illicit trade, for the complete and total abolition of the slave trade worldwide, which of course was resisted by quite powerful forces, who had made up until then, exponential amounts of money off of human trafficking. The ongoing thrust of his abolitionist efforts were directed away from England and toward ensuring the enforcement of the legislative act and continuing his crusade in the rest of Europe. 

DESCRIPTION:

The twin volume set by English author Thomas Clarkson first published this 1st English leather bound edition, with the one of two, now infamous large folio black and white woodblock print, folded pull-out on heavy white cotton rag paper. The later, subsequently published American edition, following the introduction of the English one, didn't have the same large folio pull-out woodblock print, depicting African slaves stacked like cordwood on various decks of the wooden ships, with literally no room to move, packed like mercantile goods on wooden planks for their long trans-Atlantic journey as European captive souls. This is a very rare, early 19th century English first edition from 1808, with their original leather and hard cover jackets, with embossed gold gilt typography on their leather spines. They're now 213 years old. Extraordinary and an important early 19th century abolitionist literary artifact and early piece of abolitionist, anti-slavery English literature, that proceeded to have convulsive, cataclysmic effects on the course of history in the Americas and elsewhere in the imperial European colonies.  Must-have volumes for any serious antiquarian book collector, social activist, educational institution or public library with a rare book collection. Both volumes with intact fold out woodblock illustrations. Rarer than rare. Untouched. Important. Very fine.

INSCRIPTION(S): 

With previous owner's name on paper attached to first page, 'F. H. Mullen, M.D.' (on both volumes)

Volume 1: 578 Complete pages

Volume 2:  592 Complete pages

CONDITION:

Good to Very Good overall antique condition. 

ADVISORY:

Please carefully read the description and carefully review the photographs presented in the listing to get an accurate condition description. This rare antiquarian two volume set is untouched and appears to have had no previous or contemporary repairs. The set is being sold as it was discovered in the estate, south of Boston, Massachusetts, where the twin volumes were found in the library of the home.

(*Please scroll down the page to view additional photos below. Thank you.)

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