Political Tracts – Samuel Johnson – 1776 | First Collected Edition with Devon Views

1776 Political Tracts Samuel Johnson is the first edition to assemble four of Johnson’s central political writings in a single volume. Printed in London by W. Strahan and T. Cadell, it includes The False Alarm, Falkland’s Islands, The Patriot, and Taxation No Tyranny, each originally released as a pamphlet between 1770 and 1775. This example includes two laid-in 18th-century engraved views—one of Bideford Bridge and another of Westward Ho!, a coastal village nearby.

Condition:

Contemporary full calf with surface wear. The spine retains its raised bands. Marbled endpapers remain intact. Page edges are untrimmed and toned evenly. The text block is clean, with minimal spotting. Type is sharp on laid paper. The two additional engravings are period copperplate impressions, each printed on thick paper consistent with mid-18th-century British production.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Political Tracts. Containing, The False Alarm. Falkland’s Islands. The Patriot; and, Taxation No Tyranny
• Author(s): Samuel Johnson
• Publisher: London: Printed for W. Strahan, and T. Cadell
• Edition: First collected edition, 1776
• Format: Octavo, single volume
• Binding: Full contemporary calf
• Size:  9.25 in x 6 in (23.5 cm x 15.2 cm)
• Collation: [2], 264 pp
• Illustrations: Two laid-in 18th-century engraved plates (Bideford Bridge; Westward Ho!)
• Contents Include:
  • The False Alarm
  • Falkland’s Islands
  • The Patriot
  • Taxation No Tyranny
• Reference(s): ESTC T82930; Sabin 36302

The texts are presented in sequence without editorial additions or commentary. Each retains its original pamphlet layout. The False Alarm addresses the political consequences surrounding John Wilkes’s exclusion from Parliament. Falkland’s Islands outlines a defense of national interests during a diplomatic conflict. The Patriot challenges the misuse of political virtue, while Taxation No Tyranny answers colonial protest with a defense of parliamentary authority.

Typography is consistent with London trade printing of the time, using durable laid paper and serif types with clean impression. Signatures and pagination follow standard 18th-century conventions. The inserted engravings, though not issued with the volume, are original to the period and show views tied to the Devonshire region

Why Collect This?

• First collected edition of four foundational Johnson tracts
• Issued by Johnson’s primary London publishers in the year of American independence
• Includes two 18th-century engravings (Bideford and Westward Ho!)
• One of 750 copies
• Includes Taxation No Tyranny – Johnson’s defense of Parliament to tax American colonies

Item Number: # 28674