Acts Passed at the Fifth Congress – United States – 1797 | First Edition

During the presidency of John Adams, the United States Congress was busy creating and changing laws that pertained to citizenship of the United States of America. While the majority of these laws were published in 1798 during Congress’s second and third sessions, the first session established the groundwork for what would become incredibly important laws such as the Alien and Sedition Acts, laws pertaining to the establishment of the US Navy and Marine Corps, and treaties with the Cherokee Indians.

This 1797 first edition of the laws passed in Congress features a section dedicated to the ‘Treaty of peace and friendship between the United States of America and the Bey and the subjects of Tripoli of Barbary.’ This treaty assured the Muslim people that differences in religious opinions would not cause a rift in the harmony between the two nations.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Acts passed at the first session of the Fifth Congress of the United States of America begun and held at the city of Philadelphia, in the state of Pennsylvania, on Monday the fifteenth of May, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven, and of the independence of the United States, the twenty-first
• Author(s): United States Congress
• Publisher: Philadelphia: Printed by William Ross, near Congress Hall
• Edition: First edition, 1797
• Format: (8vo), single volume
• Binding: Full leather
• Size:  8.25 in x 5.25 in (21 cm x 13.5 cm)
• Collation: 240, vii, [1], 241–561, [1]; 26, iv, [48]
• Contents Include:
  • Acts of the Fifth Congress, First Session
  • Treaty of peace and friendship between the United States and Tripoli
  • Laws relating to the Navy and Marine Corps establishment
  • Citizenship and immigration regulations
  • Appropriations and fiscal acts under Adams
  • Printing of the U.S. Constitution
• Reference(s): Evans 32951, 34688, 36473; Sabin 15502; ESTC W14656, W14660, W19240

Condition:

Good. Full leather binding tight and secure, spine title largely rubbed, moderate wear to corners and edges. Occasional water staining and foxing throughout text, consistent with age. Text block complete with firm binding and sound hinges.

Why Collect This?

• Early official U.S. government printing from the Adams presidency
• Includes references to Treaty of Tripoli, Alien & Sedition Acts

Item Number: # 29505