1783-1815: Lifestyles, Social Trends, and Fashion: Publications

John Quincy Adams, An Oration, Pronounced July 4^th, 1793, at the Request of the Inhabitants of the Town of Boston, in Commemoration of the Anniversary of American Independence (Boston: Printed by Benjamin Edes & Son, 1793);

Fisher Ames, An Oration on the Sublime Virtues of General George Washington… (Boston: Printed for Young & Mims and for Manning & Loring, 1800)—one of the many books to appear on Washington following his death;

William Andrews, Poor Will’s Almanack, For the Year of Our Lord 1784 (Philadelphia: Printed and sold by Joseph Crukshank, 1783);

Jeremy Belknap, American Biography: Or, An Historical Account of Those Persons who Have Been Distinguished in America, As Adventurers, Divines, Statesmen, Warriors, Philosophers, Authors, and Other Remarkable Characters …, 2 volumes (Boston: Printed by Isaiah Thomas & Ebenezer T. Andrews, 1794, 1798);

John Durburrow Blair, A Sermon on the Impetuosity and Bad Effects of Passion. And the Most Likely Means of Subduing It (Richmond: Printed by Lynch & South-gate, 1809)—a long-winded commentary on unethical behavior, including dueling;

Thomas Branagan, The Excellency of the Female Character Vindicated; Being an Investigation Relative to the Cause and Effects of the Encroachments of Men upon the Rights of Women, and the Too Frequent Degradation and Consequent Misfortunes of the Fair Sex (New York: Printed by Samuel Wood for the author, 1807)—the author links social injustice and sexual immorality to the male view of women “as objects of sensual convenience and domestic accommodation … inferior in point of intellectual faculties to the male.” Branagan recommends that women receive the benefits of universal education;

Branagan, Serious Remonstrances Addressed to the Citizens of the Northern States, and Their Representatives, Being an appeal to their natural feelings & common sense: Consisting of speculations and animadversions, on the recent revival of the Slave Trade in the American Republic… (Philadelphia: Printed & published by Thomas T. Stiles, 1805)—an Irish slave trader, privateer, and plantation overseer, Branagan had a religious awakening in the early 1790s and dedicated his life thereafter to helping the nation’s poor and destitute;

John Davis, Travels of Four Years and a Half in the United States of America; During 1798, 1799, 1800, 1801, and 1802 (Bristol: Printed by R. Edwards & sold by T. Ostell in London & H. Caritat in New York, 1803);

Olaudah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself, 2 volumes (London: Printed & sold by the author, 1789; New York: Printed & sold by W. Durell, 1791)—an autobiography by the most important African abolitionist writer in the United States before the Civil War era;

Henry Pattillo, The Plain Planter’s Family Assistant; containing an address to husbands and wives, children and servants; with some helps for instruction by catechisms: and examples of devotion for families; with a brief paraphrase on the Lord’s Prayer (Wilmington, Del.: Printed by James Adams, 1787);

Benjamin Trumbull, An Appeal to the Public, Especially to the Learned, with respect to the Unlawfulness of Divorces, in all cases, excepting those of incontinency … (New Haven: Printed by J. Meigs, 1788);

George Tucker, Letter to a Member of the General Assembly of Virginia, on the Subject of the Late Conspiracy of the Slaves with a Proposal for Their Colonization, as A Citizen of Virginia (Baltimore: Printed by Bonsai & Niles, 1801);

Isaac Weld Jr., Travels Through the States of North America, and the Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, during the Years 1795, 1796 and 1797, 2 volumes, third edition (London: Printed for J. Stockdale, 1800).