The Life of George Washington – David Ramsay – 1807 | First Edition

David Ramsay’s The Life of George Washington is one of the standard early biographies on the first American president. Ramsay, in addition to being the first historian of the American Revolution, was an important figure in the establishment of Washington as an American icon, mostly through this biography. Ramsay covers Washington’s early life, his military prowess, and political career.

This biography is not only a work about the life of Washington but a detailed description of the Revolutionary War as a whole. Ramsay includes a thorough and lengthy description of the battle of Valley Forge, which seems to be better fit in his ‘History of the American Revolution’. Nevertheless, The Life of Washington is an important and lasting piece in the canon of American history.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Life of George Washington, Commander in Chief of the Armies of the United States of America Throughout the War Which Established Their Independence; and First President of the United States
• Author(s): David Ramsay
• Illustrator(s):
• Contributor(s):
• Publisher: New York: Hopkins & Seymour
• Edition: First Edition, 1807.
• Format: (8vo), single volume
• Binding: Leather spine and corners, marbled boards
• Size:  8.5 in x 6 in (21.5 cm x 14 cm)
• Collation: [viii], 376, [3] pp.
• Illustrations: Engraved portrait frontispiece of George Washington
• Contents Include:
  • Washington’s Early Life and Education
  • Military Command During the Revolution
  • Accounts of Major Campaigns Including Valley Forge
  • Presidency and Founding of the American Republic
• Provenance: provenance
• Reference(s): Howes R 38; Sabin 67695

Condition:

Very Good. Original leather spine and corners with gilt decoration and marbled boards. Hinges show slight wear but remain tight and secure. Binding sound, text block solid. Light age toning consistent with the period; portrait frontispiece intact and clean.

Why Collect This?

• One of the earliest full-length biographies of George Washington
• Authored by an American Revolutionary historian and contemporary of Washington

Item Number: # 29471