Pennsylvania
Important Early Maps
and
Documents
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Pennsylvania
Important Early Maps
and
Documents
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he following pages catalog historical items relating to Pennsylvania founder William Penn (1644-1718). Expelled from Oxford for non-conformism, Penn was a highprofile Quaker convert. He emerged as a spokesman for the cause of religious freedom, defending his rights capably in court, and became an advisor to James, Duke of York, and his brother King Charles II. During the Stuart Restoration, beginning with Charles’s accession in 1660, England entered a new period of colonial expansion, conquering Dutch New Netherland. Charles gave control over the new colony [including all of present New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania] to his brother. To further his political interests and pay off family debts, the Duke of York granted East and West Jersey as proprietary colonies to Lord John Berkeley and Sir George Carteret. Then, on March 4, 1681, Charles granted 45,000 square miles to Penn to form the visionary colony of Pennsylvania (“Penn’s Woods”). Penn infused a special character to his colony by guaranteeing religious tolerance, dealing fairly with Native Americans, and planning a cosmopolitan city, Philadelphia. However, Penn’s charter, combined with his acquisition of the three “lower counties” on the Delaware River, clashed with Lord Baltimore’s earlier charter for Maryland. Several of our documents illustrate the lengthy legal conflict between Penn and Baltimore, and their descendants. The two basic points of dispute were ownership of the lower counties and the precise location of the east-to-west boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania. In the 1760s, descendants of Penn and Baltimore finally consented to the survey of their shared boundary by Englishmen Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, producing one of the iconic dividing lines of American history. seth@sethkaller.com | 914-289-1776
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Only 17 Days After Receiving His Royal Charter, Penn Sells 500 Acres, Plus a Small Portion of Independence Mall WILLIAM PENN. Manuscript Document Signed. Co-signed by Harbert Springett, Thomas Coxe, and Thomas Rudyard on verso. March 21, 1681 (1682; England still used the old Julian calendar with March 25 being the first day of the year). 1 p., large vellum engraved indenture form with scalloped top. 26 x 20¼ in. Framed, 35½ x 31¾ in. With additional docket. #21922 $19,500
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y Royal charter, King Charles II granted William Penn the lands that became Pennsylvania on March 4, 1681. Only 17 days later, Penn sold 500 acres to Thomas Saunders, making him a “First Purchaser.” Penn envisioned his colony as a haven for persecuted Quakers, but also as a long-term real estate investment.
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As an incentive for Englishmen to purchase land before emigrating to the new colony, William Penn granted bonus lots in Philadelphia. This deed recognizes Thomas Sanders (or Saunders), a yeoman from Illmore in Buckinghamshire, and one of the earliest Quaker emigrants to Pennsylvania, as a “First Purchaser” of 500 acres in Pennsylvania and thus entitled to a bonus lot in the city. John Reed’s landmark 1774 map (Map of the city and liberties of Philadelphia, with the catalogue of purchasers, [Philadelphia], T. Man) lists Thomas Saunders, owner of Lot 145 on the northwest corner of Mulberry [present day Arch] and Fifth Street, among the several hundred “First Purchasers.” The land he owned is now part of Independence Mall.
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William Penn Sells 1,500 Acres to One of Pennsylvania’s Founders WILLIAM PENN. Manuscript Document Signed. [England]. April 11, 1682. With Penn’s red wax signet seal. Countersigned by Penn’s agents Harbert Springett, Benjamin Griffith and Thomas Coxe. 1 p. 71/8 x 101/8 in. Verso contains several dockets. #21165.99 $9,500
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wo weeks before issuing his influential first frame of government for Pennsylvania, Penn confirms receipt of 30 pounds sterling from fellow Quaker John Blunston for purchase of a tract of land in Pennsylvania. Partial Transcript “Know all men by these presente that I William Penn of Worminghurst in the County of Sussex Esqr have had and received of and from John Blunston of little Hallam in the County of Derby…the sum of Thirty pounds Sterling going for the Purchase of one thousand five hundred Acres of Land in Pensylvania….”
Historical Background In 1681, Charles II granted 45,000 square miles west of the Delaware River to William Penn to form his visionary colony (“Penn’s Woods”). Pennsylvania’s charter declared that it would be bounded “on the South by a Circle drawne at twelve miles distance from New Castle Northward and Westward unto the beginning of the fortieth degree of Northern Latitude and then by a streight Line Westward.” John Blunston, his wife, and two daughters sailed to America with Penn aboard the Welcome in the fall of 1682. The family were devout Quakers. “[N]one stood nearer to Penn, nor had more of his confidence, than John Blunston” (Heistand, 191). He would become a prominent jurist, member of the provincial council and, in 1698, speaker of the assembly. Blunston used his 1,500-acre land purchase to found the town of Darby (named after his home county of Derby in England), a suburb of Philadelphia.
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The Acting Governor of New York Thanks William Penn for a Gift ANTHONY BROCKHOLLS. Autograph Letter Signed to “William Penn Esqe Proprietary & Governor.” New York, May 1, 1683, with autograph address leaf. 1 p. 75/8 x 93/8 in. #21618 $40,000
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eputy Governor Anthony Brockholls of New York extends a cordial note to Governor William Penn in the midst of continuing deliberations between Penn and Lord Baltimore over the southern boundary of Pennsylvania and possession of Delaware. “As the loadstone attracts Iron, so ought acknowledgemts to pursue faviours … [I] dare not presume any further having soe lately recd soe great a marke of your bounty wch I esteame after tryall to be the best I have seen in these parts and wish my selfe able to make retaliacon ...”
Despite controversies between Sir Edmund Andros, Brockholls’s boss, the Governor of New York, and the proprietors of West Jersey, including William Penn, Brockholls and Penn were on good terms. They negotiated recognition of the Duke of York’s lease to Penn of the three “lower counties,” now Delaware. Brockholls seemed to believe that the founder of Pennsylvania was the key to good relations among all of England’s middle colonies. Three months earlier, Brockholls had written warmly to congratulate Penn on his return from Maryland and to express happiness that “such amicable proceedings are on foot between my Lord [Baltimore] and your selfe.” In fact, the feud between Penn and Baltimore over the boundary between their colonies would not be settled in their lifetimes.
King Charles II in late 1682. Dongan was in fact on his voyage to America when Brockholls wrote this letter to Penn. Dongan immediately reorganized the province, dividing it into twelve counties, and all foreign emigrants professing Christianity were naturalized. On October 17, 1683, New York’s first legislative assembly convened. Brockholls, though no longer deputy governor, continued to serve on the Provincial Council, and commanded the garrison of New York until 1690. An Aug. 24, 1684 cover (address leaf only, without the original letter), Siegel Auction Galleries, October 24, 2007, ex Historical Society of Pennsylvania, described as “Almost certainly the earliest cover in private hands addressed to the founder and first proprietor of Pennsylvania, William Penn,” sold for $46,000. The present item is fifteen months earlier, and includes not just the cover, but also the excellent content letter from the Acting Governor of New York to William Penn.
A unique, extremely early communication between New York and Pennsylvania
In 1676, Brockholls played a critical role in a major crisis, helping convince the Mohawk Indians to attack King Philip’s Indian Confederation, then in rebellion against Massachusetts. By late 1681, however, with Andros again absent, Brockholls reported to London that the government of New York was “in the greatest confusion and disorder possible.” New York politicians were threatening to overthrow the government unless England accepted New York freemen’s right to a written constitution and an elected assembly. A new royal governor, Thomas Dongan, was appointed by
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Pennsylvania’s First Quaker Settler, Robert Wade, Granted Land by William Penn WILLIAM PENN. Manuscript Document Signed. Philadelphia, [June] 12, 1684. Grant of 236 acres in Chester Co., Pa., to Robert Wade. 1 p., 151/8 x 11¼ in. #21411.99 #14,000 Historical Background obert Wade (d. 1698) and his wife Lydia came to America from England with John Fenwick’s company in 1675. They first settled in Salem, New Jersey, but left in 1676, crossed to the west side of the Delaware River, and built “Essex House” on Chester Creek in Upland County (soon to become Chester County), Pennsylvania. Wade and his wife became the first Quakers to settle in the future lands
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of Pennsylvania, and Essex House was the site of the first meeting of the Society of Friends in Pennsylvania. The Wades were also the first Americans to host fellow Quaker and Pennsylvania founder William Penn, who lodged there upon his arrival in 1682. Two years later, Penn granted Wade this parcel. By identifying the “marked Trees” of William Woodmansie and the various “branches” (small creeks) in the area, Penn carefully delineates the parameters of Wade’s grant with compass directions and perimeter lengths in “perches,” an archaic measurement equivalent to a rod, or 16½ feet. A prominent citizen both before and after Penn’s arrival, Wade served as a judge and a provincial assemblyman.
Land grant from the founder and proprietor of Pennsylvania to Robert Wade, the first Quaker to set up permanent residence in Pennsylvania. seth@sethkaller.com | 914-289-1776
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Calling Deputy Governor Markham to Run the Dividing Line Between Pennsylvania and Maryland JAMES SANDELANDS and ROBERT WADE. Manuscript Document Signed to William Markham. “Upland” [Chester, Pa.] June 12, 1682. 1 p. 8¼ x 13 in. #21621 offered with the item on the following page
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ennsylvania was officially chartered on March 4, 1681. Proprietor William Penn remained in London for over a year, commissioning his cousin, William Markham, to act as deputy governor, establish the colony, commence construction of Philadelphia, and settle the boundary with Maryland. All in a good day’s work! While still in London, Penn received additional deeds to the three lower counties (Delaware) from the Duke of York, assuring him (so he thought) of a saltwater port for Pennsylvania. Penn also trusted a contemporary map which placed the 40˚ line— the line established as Maryland’s northern boundary by King Charles I’s 1632 charter to Lord Baltimore—thirty miles south of New Castle (present Delaware).
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Here, two members of Pennsylvania’s first Provincial Council—one of whom was Pennsylvania’s first Quaker settler—alert Deputy Governor Markham of the arrival of Lord Baltimore’s commissioners to Augustine Hermann’s estate near the disputed border between Maryland and Pennsylvania. Baltimore’s commissioners sought to strong-arm Markham into participating in a joint observation of the 40° line. “Here being a Messenger this day come ... with Letters from ye Lord Baltamore for you, which messenger also acquainting us that there are ffour Comissionrs who by the order & comand of ye said Lord, have beene & are waiting at Augustine Hermons in Bohemia River ever since ye tenth day instant, for ye Running ye Division Lyne...”
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Markham did not come, choosing to await Penn’s arrival. He was, most likely, stalling for time because he knew an accurate measurement of the 40˚ line would be unfavorable to Pennsylvania.
Forming Pennsylvania Militia to Defend Against Maryland “Invasion ” WILLIAM MARKHAM. Autograph Document Signed with initials, as acting Governor of Pennsylvania, Proclamation. [Philadelphia], October 1, 1682. 1 p. 127/8 x 18¼ in. #21752 $45,000 for the pair (see #21621 on previous page)
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he first chief executive of Pennsylvania was, ironically, a non-Quaker and veteran of the Royal Navy, with no qualms about demanding military service. Anxiously awaiting Proprietor William Penn’s arrival in America, and with Lord Baltimore of Maryland threatening to occupy Pennsylvania’s contested southern frontier, William Markham proclaims that all men between the ages of 16 to 60 must serve as a militia.
forced Markham to give up the instrument. Markham was checkmated. Desperate, he calls for a citizens’ militia days later. Penn finally arrived in his colony for the first time on October 29. He presented new legal documents to Baltimore as proof of his ownership of Delaware and insisted on a shared boundary advantageous to both proprietors. Penn made a conciliatory offer to purchase some of the disputed lands directly from Baltimore, but no agreement was reached, and the dispute persisted for decades. Penn and Baltimore each sought to win through lobbying and litigation in London, so the threat of a border war ceased.
“Whereas the Governour Assistants and Councell hath taken into Consideration the Danger this Province is now in of Invasion - Did Think Requisite to order that all possible Care & Speed be Taken for ye prevention Thereof - in order There unto I thought fitt to Issue out This my Proclamation: willing & requiring all Male persons with in this province as Expressed by his Majts: lett[er]s pattents to Wm Penn Esqr That is from Twelve Miles distance upwards of New Castle Towne to ye Three & fortieth Degree of Northern Lattd &c: That all persons as aforesaid from Sixteen yeares of age and upwards and under ye age of Sixty: be ready at an Hours warning with armes and ammunition fitt for a Defence ...” While in New York City in June 1682, Deputy Governor Markham had obtained a sextile to make accurate measurements of latitude, but he agreed neither to grant Lord Baltimore use of the apparatus nor to conduct joint observations. He realized that an accurate marking of the fortieth parallel would not only deny Pennsylvania access to both Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, it would also cause the loss of Philadelphia itself. Infuriated, Baltimore and his coterie marched to Upland, the temporary seat of government during the construction of Philadelphia, on September 24, and
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The “Greatest of Early American Maps . . . a Masterpiece” THOMAS HOLME. “A Map of the Improved Part of the Province of Pennsilvania in America.” London, 1687, modern color. 64½ x 42¼ in. framed. #22133 Price on request
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n 1681, William Penn was granted sole proprietorship to more than forty-five thousand square miles in a region that he named Pennsylvania. Through vigorous promotion more than a half-million acres were sold in the first year alone. Because each tract had to be laid out before it could be developed, Penn appointed Thomas Holme surveyor general of the colony in April 1682; he immediately began to survey the land and to lay out the future city of Philadelphia. His plan titled A Portraiture of the City of Philadelphia was published in 1683. Penn then pressured Holme to produce a general map of the colony, complaining from London that “we want a map to the degree that I am ashamed here … all cry out, where is your map, what no map of the settlements!” The completed manuscript was on its way to Penn in London by May 1687, and the finished map was advertised in January 1688. It illustrates the “improved”, or settled, area of the province along the western bank of the Delaware River, a tract of approximately fifty-five miles in length and thirty-three miles in width. On a scale of one mile to one inch, it locates the holdings of 670 settlers, and was the only map of any English colony to give such a detailed account of settlement. Holme’s 1683 plan of Philadelphia, the first published for any English American city, was included in reduced form as an inset in the upper right corner. The map’s great size made it unwieldy for general use, and very few copies must have been printed, most for official use. A reduced version was published by Philip Lea around 1690. Philip Burden identifies two states of the map; this is state two. State one survives in a single example at the British Library, believed to be the copy given to William Penn. It has Neshaminy Creek flowing above the letters “KS COUN” in the name “Bucks County.” Copies of this second state (altered to show the creek flowing below the letters “S C” in the county’s name) are in the collections of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the American Philosophical Society, the Library Company of Philadelphia, Winterthur, the
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Library of Congress, the Biblioteca nacional de España (National Library of Spain), and the Bibliothèque nationale de France (National Library of France). We have found no other copies recorded in private hands, and no sale records in the last several decades.
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“This monumental work is without question the finest printed cartographic document relating to North America to be published to date.� (Burden) No other English American colony was mapped in the seventeenth century on such a large scale, and in such amazing detail. seth@sethkaller.com | 914-289-1776
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Wanted For Treason
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illiam Penn supported James II in the Glorious Revolution, James’s attempt to regain the English throne. The victors, William and Mary, placed Penn under suspicion of treason and Penn briefly lost control of his colony from 1692 to 1694. “A proclamation for discovering and apprehending the late bishop of Ely, William Penn, and James Grahme. . . . William Penn, Esquire . . . have designed & endeavoured to depose their Majesties & subvers the government of this Kingdom by procuring an invasion of the same by the French, & other treasonable practices . . . for which cause several warrants for High Treason have been issued out against them, but they have withdrawn themselves from their usual places of abode and are fled from justice.” [WILLIAM PENN]. Newspaper. The London Gazette. London, England, February, 9 1690, 2 pp., 6¼ x 11¼ in. #30000.54 $900
Penn’s Seal
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illiam Penn’s agents’ approve a land transfer from Thomas Lloyd, represented through power of attorney by Richard Hill, to Samuel Finney. Document Signed in Penn’s name by Edward Shippen, Griffith Owen, Thomas Story, and James Logan. Philadelphia, Pa., December 8, 1702. 1 p., with Penn’s seal. #21607 $2,500
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“Oaths and Declarations”: Religious Freedom in Colonial Pennsylvania WILLIAM PENN JR. Manuscript Document Signed. N.p. [likely Philadelphia, Pennsylvania], n.d. [ca. February-September 1704]. 2 pp., on bifolium sheet. 7¾ x 12½ in. One page docketed on verso, “Oaths & Declarations / of Members of Council / Stenton.” #21923 $18,000
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igned by Pennsylvania’s political leaders during a stormy period in the province’s history, this document eased chronic tensions between Quakers and non-Quakers, and between the proprietor (William Penn) and the Assembly. The separate signatures on two sheets of paper attests to the landmark commitment of Penn to religious tolerance. Quakers’ religious beliefs prohibited their taking oaths. In 1701, before leaving Pennsylvania to return to England, William Penn instituted the Charter of Privileges, establishing his colony’s fourth frame of government. Though Queen Anne held that oaths were mandatory, one significant clause codified the right to freedom of conscience (among Christians, anyway) by providing an option other than oaths for office-holders: “all Persons who also profess to believe in Jesus Christ, the Saviour
of the World, shall be capable (notwithstanding their other Persuasions and Practices in Point of Conscience and Religion) to serve this Government in any Capacity, both legislatively and executively, he or they solemnly promising, when lawfully required, Allegiance to the King as Sovereign, and Fidelity to the Proprietary and Governor, and taking the Attests as now established by the Law.” The present document is divided into two halves. The first page is signed by eight non-Quaker members who took the following oath, written at the top of the page: “We whose names are hereunto Subscribed do solemnly promise and swear that wee and each of us will faithfully discharge the Trust of Members of Council for ye Government of the Province of Pensilvania and Territories to which wee are called to the best of our ability and understanding and that the Secrets of the said Council we will inviolably keep. So help us God...” The second page is signed by five Quakers, whose oath reads: “Wee whose names are hereunto Subscribed do Declare in the presence of Almighty God the Witness of the Truth of what we say That we and each of us will faithfully discharge the Trust of Members of Council for the Government of the Province of Pensilvania and Territories to which wee are called to the best of our ability and understanding and that the Secrets of the said Council we will inviolably keep. Wm Penn Jr / James Logan...”
Both images are cropped at the bottom
It is notable that this document includes the signature of William Penn, Jr. (whose signature is nearly identical to that of his father). Penn, Jr. was only in the colony for six months in 1704, during which time he caused quite a number of disturbances, including a tussle with a member of the city watch. Isaac Norris would write to a friend in September 1704: “William Penn, Jr., is quite gone off from Friends. He being in company with some extravagants, that beat the watch at Enoch Story’s … He talks of going home in the Jersey man-of-war next month. I wish things had been better, or he had never come” (in Janney, The Life of William Penn).
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Delaware Is His: William Penn’s Personal Copy of the Queen’s Decision WILLIAM PENN. Autograph Docket on Manuscript Document. [London, England], January 27, 1708/9 (“1708” is from the British Julian calendar). 2 pp. 7¾ x 12¼ in. #21622 $60,000
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illiam Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, wins a crucial victory in his long contest with Lord Baltimore over ownership of the “lower counties,” now known as Delaware. This document recording the decision of Queen Anne’s Privy Council was his personal copy, which he marked “Order of Councll agst Ld Baltime ... 27th Jany 1708.”
Lord Baltimore continued the fight. He died just before his proprietorship of Maryland was restored, in 1715. Though relinquishing Delaware, his grandson, the 5th Lord Baltimore, continued the family tradition of disputing the boundaries of Maryland with both Pennsylvania and Delaware into the 1750s. The running of the Mason-Dixon line (1763-1767) finally settled the feud.
“Upon reading this day at the Board the Humble petition of Wm. Penn Esqr. Proprietary under her Maty of the province of Pensylvania in America, setting forth that upon a complaint formerly made by Charles Lord Baltimore, proprietor of the Province of Maryland, the Respective Boundaries of those Countries,… Her Maty. in Councill taking the same into her consideration is Graciously pleased, to ordr accordingly, that the sd petition of the Lord Baltimore, Be, and it is hereby Dismissed.” In 1684 Lord Baltimore’s boundary dispute with William Penn had already become a legal matter. In November 1685, King James II declared that the three “lower counties” belonged to Penn. However, King William, after the Glorious Revolution of 1688, revoked the charters of both Maryland and Pennsylvania, returning the lands to control of the monarchy. Penn’s proprietorship of Pennsylvania was reinstated in 1694. He won another major victory with this 1709 Privy Council order on the “lower counties.”
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Earliest John Penn Letter to His Brother, with Respects to “the Reverant Old Gentleman That Usually Wares a Black Cap ” JOHN PENN. Autograph Letter Signed, to Thomas Penn. “Bristoll,” December 4, 1715. With autograph address and six examples of Thomas Penn’s signature on verso. 1 p. 73/8 x 105/8 in. #21619 $38,000
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ifteen-year-old John Penn, having just left the family household in Ruscombe, England to apprentice as a merchant, writes home, and mentions his mother’s cooking and chocolate making. The recipient was John’s younger brother Thomas, who eventually inherited most of their father’s interest in Pennsylvania. Dear Brother I Last Post recd thy letter but am asham’d to think how far I am in thy Debt nor know what Excuse to make, but must Wholy Reley on thy Mercy knowing it to be boundless to forgive Past offences upon Promise of being better for time to Come, as to the Charg of the Chacoletts making I writ to mother in y Last but as to the P[art] Rasburys that Came w[it]h the oyster [loss] sent it to mother but think it would [be] better if it was Boyl’d up again which she would have done but had not time, all Relations here much as they ware & give their Dear Love to Father & Mother wch wth my Duty, and Dear Love to thy Self is all at Presant from Thy very affect & Lov Brother John Penn
between the two sons of the founder of Pennsylvania, William Penn, and Hannah Callowhill. John was born in Philadelphia, but remained there for less than a year. In 1718, three years after this letter, William Penn died, and John received half of the proprietaryship. He went back to Pennsylvania in 1734, attended a few meetings of the provincial council, and returned to England a year later. John died with no heirs. Then, stepbrother Dennis also died without issue. Thus Thomas Penn eventually owned 3/4 of William Penn’s proprietaryship. On the verso of this letter, the thirteen-year-old Thomas practices signing his name—six different times. Thomas spent most of his adulthood in London, directing his interest in Pennsylvania. An important but polarizing figure, his unwillingness to allow the colonial assembly to tax Penn family lands was a major point of contention. Benjamin Franklin organized the Quaker Party in opposition, and sought to have the King declare Pennsylvania a royal colony. Thomas is also remembered for his role in the infamous “Walking Purchase” of 1737, whereby the Delaware Indians were forced out of much of their homeland.
Pray Give My Respects To the Reverant Old Gentleman That usually wares A Black Cap & our old Father Addam The “Black Cap” in John’s postscript refers to William Penn’s famous Quaker hat. “Addam,” the biblical first man of course, was another reference to their father. This marks the earliest letter known to survive
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Agreement & Map “Settling” the Pennsylvania-Maryland Boundary Dispute “True Copies of: I. The Agreement between Lord Baltimore and Messieurs Penn, dated 10 May 1732. II. The Commissions . . . to mark out the Lines between Maryland, and Pensilvania and the Three Lower Counties on Delaware. III. The Return or Report of the Commissioners on both Sides, made 24 Nov. 1733...” [Docket title]. London: 1734-35. Pamphlet, 8 pp., 10½ x 12 in. First edition. With: the map printed to accompany the agreement: [“Pensilvania, Maryland & Three Lower Countys,” or “Proposed Maryland/Pennsylvania Boundary”]. John Senex. [London, 1732-33]. 14¼ x 9½ in. and wide margins, uncolored, First State, with the scale of miles imperfectly erased from the plate, and still visible—the earliest printing of this map after the proof. #20882.99 $145,000 Detailed description available on request.
Dixon Line Survey of 1763-67, and the present borders between Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The map appeared in other variants. The formal contract employing Charles Mason & Jeremiah Dixon included an inset copy, and Benjamin Franklin produced a woodcut version. Any copy of the agreement or the map is exceedingly rare.
The Basis for the Mason-Dixon Line!
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he key agreement—including the controversial map—that ultimately ended the Penn-Calvert family dispute, and set the groundwork for the Mason and Dixon Line Survey of 1763-67. This map was created by Londoner John Senex to accompany manuscript copies of the May 10, 1732 Articles of Agreement, the landmark settlement to the then 50-year old dispute over several boundaries between Pennsylvania and Maryland. To support the Penn claim, the family had True Copies—composed of the 1732 Articles along with a report of 1733—printed and distributed along with the map. Soon after the agreement, however, Lord Baltimore learned that Senex’s map was based on the inaccurate Novi Belgii map by Nicholas Visscher (ca. 1651-56), which placed Cape Henlopen (‘Disappearing Cape’ in Dutch) about 25 miles farther south than in reality. Calvert thus refused to honor the treaty. As this point was a main boundary in the Agreement and subsequent surveys, the Calvert family stood to lose a considerable amount of land on the east coast of the Delmarva Peninsula, now part of Delaware. In 1750, the English Chancellor overruled Calvert’s appeal, and forced him to comply with the 1732 Agreement. Thus, this map became the basis for the Mason and
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Aiding the Penn Family in Pennsylvania-Maryland Border Disputes RICHARD PETERS. Autograph Document Signed, Philadelphia, May 24, 1740. 1 p. 83/8 x 41/8 in. #20579.99 $3,000
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eceipt for payment made to Peters for mapmaker Thomas Noxon’s searching the records of the ‘three lower counties’ [what became Delaware] for information in the boundary dispute between the Penns and Lord Baltimore for the Penns’ case. Transcript “Philada 24th May 1740 Received of Mr. James Steel the Sum of Two hundred and Twenty two Pounds Six Shillings for money paid to Just[ice Thomas] Noxon for services done by him and by Persons employd by him in searching the several offices of the Counties of Newcastle, Kent and Sussex on Delaware and the Secretaries office at New York & for taking copies of records out of the same to be produced in the cause of Messrs Penn ag[ains]t [Fifth] L[or]d Baltimore by me. Richard Peters £ 222: 6: 00 this Currency” Docketed on verso in another hand: “Maryland Charge £222:6:. 24 May 1740” Historical Background This legal work came as a result of Lord Baltimore contesting the 1732 Articles of Agreement, his main argument being over the misinterpretation of Cape Henlopen’s location on the Agreement’s John Senex map, which had relied upon the faulty Visscher map.
and that his second marriage was not valid. Peters soon became a trusted official of the Penn family, appointed in 1743 as Secretary of the Land Office for the proprietary family, Secretary of the Province and Clerk of the Council. He held these positions for a quarter of a century, and in 1749 was also appointed as a Council member. Peters was instrumental in the creation of the defensive union of the colonies, serving as one of Pennsylvania’s commissioners to the Albany Congress of 1754 with the approval of the Penn proprietors. Additionally, he was a founder and trustee of the University of Pennsylvania, being by Benjamin Franklin’s own account the first person Franklin consulted about establishing a school in Philadelphia. Peters was also a director of the Library Company of Philadelphia, a manager of Pennsylvania Hospital, and a member of the American Philosophical Society. Thomas Noxon, J.P. (1698-1743) conducted surveys through much of Delaware and in 1735/37 created a very important now-lost map of the “three lower counties.” (Klinefelter 12; Munroe 231-32) Because of Noxon’s intimate knowledge of the area he was called upon to testify for the Penns in 1740. Klinefelter writes that “Lewis Evans would also borrow from Noxon, and “presumably came into possession of…[his] map through the courtesy of Nicholas Scull in the Land Office…” (Klinefelter, 13)
Rev. Richard Peters (1704-1776), a native of Liverpool, moved to Philadelphia in 1735, after a scandal developed when it was discovered that his first wife was not as dead as had been thought
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John Penn on the Final Year of the Mason-Dixon Line Survey JOHN PENN (1729-1795). Autograph Letter Signed, as Governor. Black Point, June 17, 1767, to [Joseph Shippen]. 4 pp. 71/8 x 9 in. #20734.99 $4,500
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enn advises Joseph Shippen on how best to deal with the inordinate influx of Indian scouts arriving for the famous surveying expedition. While on vacation, he directs the logistics of the survey party and foretells the survey’s running over budget. “I am amazed to find both by your letter ... that so many Indians are expected to accompany the Surveyors in running the line. I had no idea of more than five or six deputies coming down, from what Sr. William Johnson wrote me, nor do I think he himself expected any more would come. I think the best manner of proceeding will be to call the Commissioners together with Mr. [George] Croghan to consult upon a proper method of sending these Indians home again. Six or eight would surely be enough to attend upon the Surveyors. The maintaining of so large a body would not only be very cost expensive, but other inconveniences would unavoidably arise whenever they had any Communication with the white People ... I am afraid our Masters at home will be surprised as it is when the accounts of this business are transmitted to them though
I believe everything relating to it, has been managed with as much regard to their interest as possible ...” Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon began their survey to define the boundaries between Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware in 1763. They continued surveying the border between Pennsylvania and Maryland until October 1767, when they reached a path used by the Iroquois. The survey ended 233 miles from the coast, and was not completed until after the American Revolution. The following November (1768), Sir William Johnson successfully negotiated the Treaty of Fort Stanwix with the Iroquois, greatly extending the boundary of white settlements westward, past what King George III had established in the Proclamation of 1763. Rather than diminishing frontier violence, the treaty would, over time, exacerbate conflict. According to historian Milton Hamilton, “it was a great gain for Pennsylvania, giving to the Proprietors the land ... westward to Kittanning and Fort Pitt.”
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Jefferys’ 1776 American Atlas: the Best of the Century THOMAS JEFFERYS (c. 1719-1771). The American Atlas; or, a Geographical Description of the Whole Continent of America; Wherein are Delineated at Large its Several Regions, Countries, States, and Islands; and Chiefly the British Colonies.... 2nd ed. London: Robert Sayer and John Bennett, 1776. 22 engraved maps, on 29 sheets, all with original outline color, expertly rebound to style in 18th-century diced Russia gilt leather. A very fine and complete copy. The book with maps folded, 15¾ x 22¼ in. #20862.99 $160,000
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homas Jeffreys, geographer to King George III from 1761 until 1771, was well-placed for access to the best surveys conducted in America. Many of the maps he collected and compiled held the status of “official work.” In 1775, his successors, Sayer and Bennett, republished these in book form. The American Atlas’s 22 maps include several highlights of late colonial cartography, offering a comprehensive vision of British North America at the time of the American Revolution. This 1776 second edition includes A New Map of the Province of Quebec and an updated map of New York and New Jersey. Otherwise, it is identical to the first edition. The maps were printed individually on several large sheets; the sizes listed are the joined image sizes. Many were of such significance and detail that they were not supplanted until well into the next century.
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• A Map of the Most Inhabited Part of New England, by Braddock Meade (alias John Green). 38¾ x 40¾ in. The most detailed and informative pre-Revolutionary map of New England. • The Provinces of New York and New Jersey, with Part of Pensilvania...., by Samuel Holland. With three insets: A plan of the City of New York, A chart of the Mouth of Hudson’s River, and A Plan of Amboy. 26½ x 52¾ in. Important large-scale map, by the Surveyor General for the Northern English colonies. With insets, including a street plan of colonial New York City. • A Map of Pennsylvania Exhibiting not only the Improved Parts of the Province but also its Extensive Frontiers, by William Scull. 27 x 51½ in. The first to show Pennsylvania’s western frontier. • An Accurate Map of North America, by Emanuel Bowen and John Gibson. 43 x 47 in. • A Map of the Most Inhabited Part of Virginia, containing the Whole Province of Maryland ..., by Joshua Fry & Peter Jefferson (Thomas Jefferson’s father). 32 x 48 in. The best 18th-century map of Virginia. • An Accurate Map of North and South Carolina with their Indian Frontiers, by Henry Mouzon. 40 x 54 in. The best map of the Carolinas for another 40 or 50 years. • The Coast of West Florida and Louisiana ... The Peninsula and Gulf of Florida, by Thomas Jefferys. 19½ x 48 in.
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Philadelphia and Independence Hall MATTHEW ALBERT LOTTER. Map. A Plan of the City and Environs of Philadelphia . . . Augsburg, Germany, 1777. Original hand-colored copperplate-engraved map, retaining full English text of original map of same year. Approx. 19 x 25 in. Archivally framed, 28¼ x 34½ in. #21886 $6,800
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evolutionary War map of Philadelphia, with military-related descriptions such as “Chevaux de Frise [navigational barriers] which the Americans have laid across [the Delaware River] to obstruct the Navigation” and “Battery demolish’d.” The Pennsylvania State House, known today as Independence Hall, is featured below the map.
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“The Middle British Colonies,” First Published During the French and Indian War LEWIS EVANS AND THOMAS POWNALL. Map. A Map of the Middle British Colonies in North America . . . with the Addition of New England, and bordering Parts of Canada . . . , London, March 25, 1776. 1 p. 34 x 21½ in. Three-part folding map with hand-colored colony borders. #22136 $14,500
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ewis Evans was a Welsh-born cartographer whose most famous work was A General Map of the Middle British Colonies in America. It was a joint venture between Evans and Thomas Pownall, who came to America in 1753 and embarked on a tour of the colonies, observing everything from Indian life to colonial society. Evans’s map was first printed in Philadelphia by
Benjamin Franklin and David Hall in 1755. British general Edward Braddock, under whom a young George Washington served, used the map during the French and Indian War (1754–1763). The original map was pirated four times between 1755 and this 1776 re-issue by Pownall. To make this issue, approximately 5 degrees of longitude into the Atlantic Ocean were added on a second plate, and the two impressions were joined on one paper. Other improvements to this version include lists of towns and counties and a more detailed representation of New England.
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Thomas Paine Transmits an Act for the Resolution of the Pennsylvania-Virginia Border THOMAS PAINE (1737-1809). Manuscript Document Signed, as Clerk of the General Assembly, [Philadelphia?], Pennsylvania, November 19, 1779. To Joseph Reed, as President of the Supreme Executive Council. 1 p., with integral address leaf. 81/8 x 13 in. #21919 $25,000
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homas Paine, as Clerk of Pennsylvania’s General Assembly, transmits a resolution to the state’s Supreme Executive Council [no longer enclosed, but about the boundary with Virginia] and requests that it be forwarded to the government of that state. After years of wrangling, the two states had finally agreed that summer to settle their dispute by extending the MasonDixon line.
ants. Pennsylvania then balked. The conflict was finally settled after the Revolutionary War, when Pennsylvania and Virginia both agreed to cede their western claims to the United States, to organize into territories before becoming new states. Thomas Paine became involved in Pennsylvania politics immediately after his arrival in America in 1774. In 1776, he wrote a series of letters in local newspapers supporting Pennsylvania’s new constitution. Needing to supplement his income as a writer, he was appointed clerk of the Pennsylvania Assembly in November, 1779, shortly after resigning as secretary of foreign affairs for the Continental Congress. Any manuscript material from Thomas Paine, especially during the era of the American Revolution, is rare.
Transcript In Assembly Novr 19th 1779 On Motion Resolved. That the above (enclosed) Ratification be copied and sent to the Supreme Executive Council requesting that honorable board to transmit the same to the Government of Virginia. Extract from the Minutes Thomas Paine Clerk of the Genl Assembly Supreme Executive Council Historical Background Pennsylvania engaged for nearly four decades in a dispute with Virginia over the land on the south side of the Ohio River (the land was also claimed by the French and the Iroquois Nation). The Crown’s grant of a half-million‑acre tract to the Ohio Land Company in 1748 began a long-running dispute between Pennsylvania and Virginia. A joint commission met in Baltimore in August of 1779, agreeing to “extend the Mason and Dixon line due west five degrees of longitude . . . for the southern boundary of Pennsylvania; and that a meridian drawn from the western boundary thereof to the northern line of said State to be the western line of said State forever.” Pennsylvania agreed (per our document), but Virginia ratified only after certifying Virginian claim-
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The Laws of Pennsylvania, Signed by Clement Biddle, Washington’s Commissary General at Valley Forge CLEMENT BIDDLE. Signed Book. Laws Enacted in the Sixth [-Ninth] General Assembly of the Representatives of the Freemen of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania... Vol. II. Philadelphia: Hall and Sellers [and Thomas Bradford], 1782-1785. Folio. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1782-1785. First six sections printed by Hall & Sellers, remainder by Thomas Bradford. Approximately 706 pp. #22236 $9,500
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bound volume of Pennsylvania session laws, from the first sitting of the sixth session in 1781 through the third sitting of the ninth session in 1785. Signed by Clement C. Biddle in several places; includes a number of Revolutionary War-related acts and some marginal notes.
Clement Biddle (1740–1814) was a Philadelphia merchant and American Revolutionary War soldier, with the rank of Colonel. Biddle was a deputy quartermaster general of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey militia, and Commissary General at Valley Forge under George Washington. After the Revolutionary War, he was the first U.S. Marshal (1789–1793) for Pennsylvania. Condition: Contemporary sheep-backed marbled paper covered boards, skillfully rebacked in period style. Boards rubbed, paper defect on pages 663-664, paper varying widely between gatherings from fresh and white to foxed to moderately toned.
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Ethan Allen Supports Connecticut Claims to the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania A great rarity from the Vermont Patriot ETHAN ALLEN. Autograph Letter Signed, to Connecticut Governor Matthew Griswold. [Wyoming Valley, Pa.], April 30, 1786. 3 pp. 10 x 13 in. With rare Allen free frank on address leaf. #22117 $48,000
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he Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania was disputed territory as early as the 17th century, when King Charles II granted the same lands to both Connecticut and Pennsylvania. For almost 100 years, Connecticut claims lay fallow while Pennsylvanians developed the land. After the Revolution, the contested claims came to a head. Partial Transcript “I arrived to the Hostile ground, and found a teritory which has been distressed, by Britons, Tories, Savages, and the more Savage and avaracious land-jobbers, (I had almost said Government) of Pensylvania. Every exertion of government, in its consequences, has hitherto been attended with cruelties, and Injustice, very similar to the cruelties perpetrated by the Spanyards, towards the peruvian Indians, or that of the British in the East Indies, towards the natives. Law, Order, and Government, are the Hobby Horses of the Pensylvenians, with which they alias their land schemers, design to disposess the Connecticut settlers, and obtain and accumulate to themselves, their lands and labours. . . . By threats, Intriegues and arms, our opponants are striving to evail themselves themselves of this rich and fertile Country, which we purchaised of the ab-originals, and of Connecticut . . . . . . it was agreed, that hostilities should cease on both sides . . . whereof the inhabitants (by an agreement,) grounded ther arms, and Colo. Armstrongs detachment took possession of them, and have detained them to this day, and at the same time demanded the armless and indiscreat inhabitants, to surrender themselves prisoners or they would
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shoot them dead. . . . they were loaded with Irons, taken to [gaol] and tryed for high Treason, but acquitted by the Jury.” Historical Background In 1753, Connecticut’s Susquehanna Company began attempts to settle the Wyoming Valley. Settlers arriving in the 1760s found the land already occupied, though their claims were bolstered by a deed for land purchased from the Indians. The 1782 “Trenton Decree” declared Pennsylvania’s ownership, but required honoring the Connecticut land titles. Three days before writing this letter, Revolutionary War hero Ethan Allen, commander of Vermont’s Green Mountain Boys, had arrived in the Wyoming Valley to defend the claims of Connecticut homesteaders. Along with Susquehanna Company agents, Allen threatened to form a new state out of the disputed lands. As tensions rose, the Connecticut settlers formed a 400-man militia. Led by John Franklin, they eventually drove out Pennsylvania forces under Colonel John Armstrong. Allen’s presence helped broker a negotiated settlement, though his motives for settling the dispute were not purely altruistic; he had left retirement in Vermont after being promised tracts of land in the valley.
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Indian Treaties Relating to an Incendiary Dispute Over the Site of Present-Day Erie, Pennsylvania [INDIAN TREATIES]. Manuscript Document Signed by A.J. Dallas as Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. May 31, 1794. Certifying that “The three Annexed Instruments of Writing are true Copies from the originals, as Filed among the Records of the Late Supreme Executive Council.” Vellum. This signed cover document plus the three accompanying treaty copies clerically signed for Thomas McKean, the President of the Supreme Executive Council, all pertain to an incendiary dispute between the Iroquois nations and Pennsylvania over the site of present-day Erie, Pennsylvania. #21159.99 27,500 TREATY OF FORT STANWIX, Manuscript Document [1794]. Copy of an October 21, 1784 land deed, defining the area from the Ohio River to Beaver Creek to the Susquehanna River to Kittanning. With clerical signatures of the Six Nations tribe, Oliver Wolcott, and Thomas McKean. 24½ x 26 in., vellum. TREATY OF FORT MCINTOSH, Manuscript Document [1794]. Copy of a January 21, 1785 land deed, describing the same area as the first deed. With clerical signatures of the Wyandot and Delaware Tribes,
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William Bradford, and Thomas McKean. 25½ x 30 in., vellum. TREATY OF FORT HARMAR, Manuscript Document [1794]. Copy of a January 9, 1789 land deed, ceding the Presqu’Isle [Erie] area, along with its bays and harbors. With clerical signatures of several tribes, Northwest Territory governor Arthur St. Clair, and Thomas McKean. 25½ x 30½ in., vellum. Historical Background he three treaties copied here (Fort Stanwix, Fort McIntosh and Fort Harmar) constitute a progressive series of attempts to settle land disputes between the U.S. government and several Native American tribes in the Ohio territory. The treaties failed to resolve the conflicts, however, and the steady influx of settlers into the disputed territory continued to increase frontier violence.
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In 1793, Pennsylvania initiated settlement of Presqu’Isle (now Erie) in the Erie Triangle, which it had obtained from the federal government in 1792, supposedly free of Native American ownership rights. In advance of the settlers, surveyors were sent into the territory, and
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Pennsylvania governor Thomas Mifflin called out state militia troops to protect them. That move exacerbated tensions between settlers and the Six Nations, who considered the 1789 Treaty of Fort Harmar that ceded the land to the United States invalid. The Six Nations, in alliance with the British, long controlled the land south of lakes Ontario and Erie. A full-scale frontier war now loomed.
Mifflin’s decision alarmed Secretary of War Henry Knox, who questioned the constitutionality of the governor’s actions. In May of 1794, determined to prevent an escalation of hostilities between British-backed tribes and American civilians, Washington asked Mifflin to halt the settlement. The governor temporarily acceded, but testily challenged the involvement of the federal government in state law. The stalemate was eventually broken in August of 1794, when General “Mad Anthony” Wayne’s victory at the Battle of Fallen Timbers established American dominance over the Britishallied tribes. With the subsequent negotiation of Jay’s Treaty between the U.S. and Britain, the Indians’ backing further eroded. The dispute over the Erie Triangle was resolved in November of 1794 with the signing of the Canandaigua (or Pickering) Treaty between representatives of the U.S. government and the Six Nations. Alexander James Dallas (1759-1817) served as secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, first reporter of U.S. Supreme Court decisions, and U.S. district attorney, before James Madison appointed him as Secretary of the Treasury (1814-1816). He reorganized the Treasury Department and was a strong supporter of the Second Bank of the United States. In 1815, Dallas also served as acting Secretary of War and acting Secretary of State.
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A Sampling of Other Historic Items –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
This catalog represents only a small selection from our inventory. Additional items include rare and important early maps, colonial land grants, documents from the Revolutionary War and Founding, as well as important Abraham Lincoln, Civil War and African-American history documents. Our 20th-century stock, though not as strong as earlier periods, includes a selection of items from the women’s suffrage movement, the New Deal, World War II, and the Cold War. We proudly specialize in manuscript and printed “Documents of Freedom.”
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Declaration of Independence— Peter Force Facsimile This second edition of the first exact facsimile remains the best available representation of the original engrossed Declaration as the manuscript looked over 150 years ago. Very little of the original document is legible today. Congress approved William J. Stone’s first facsimile in 1823, allowing only 200 copies. Ten years later, Peter Force received Congressional approval to have a second edition printed for inclusion in his massive American Archives publication project. On thin wove paper, never-folded copies such as this are far scarcer on the market than folded copies that had the protection of the books. #20728 $45,000
President Washington Signs a Land Patent for “The Hero of Saratoga,” Conway Cabal Plotter Major General Horatio Gates Gates is rewarded for his military service, the highlight of which was his leading America’s Northern Army to defeat British general John Burgoyne at the Battle of Saratoga in October, 1777. The victory turned the Revolutionary War in favor of the Americans and convinced France to enter the war on the side of the United States. This document brings Washington together with one of his most famous rivals. Washington believed Gates had plotted to usurp his command as part of the 1777-1778 Conway Cabal. #23197 $35,000
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David Ben-Gurion Calls for a Home in Jerusalem for the Bible Society #20230
$2,950
Hugo Allard’s Restitutio View of New-York Totius Neobelgii Nova et Accuratissima Tabula. [Amsterdam: ca. 1674]. Rare second state in original color. #20911.99 $39,500
Albert Einstein Threatens to Resign from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem #22048
$8,500
Frederick Douglass & Elizabeth Cady Stanton Eloquent autograph quotations signed on the same sheet of paper by two of the most prominent American abolitionist leaders. “Twenty two years a slave- / Twenty eight years a freeman- / and now a citizen of the / United States.” #21908 $18,000
Women’s Suffrage
President Lincoln Helps “Relieve and Comfort Our Brave Soldiers”
An 8 x 5½ inch flag, ca. 1910, with original stick. #21421 $1,500
#22821 $37,500 seth@sethkaller.com | 914-289-1776
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CUSTOM FRAMING & DISPLAYS We offer a wide variety of display options. Working with a team of professionals, we provide the finest archival products available to preserve and exhibit your documents. Special Catalog Notes • Quotes in italics are from the document we are offering. • More detailed descriptions, images, and condition notes are on our website. • Offers are subject to prior sale or price change without notice. Terminology Autograph Letter Signed or Autograph Document Signed: Both text and signature are in the hand of the signer. Letter Signed or Manuscript Document Signed: The text is penned by someone other than the signer. Broadside: A single-page printing used to spread news. 32
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Our History “Some objects do seem to retain the pulse of their making.” —Edmund de Waal Historic documents are more than a chronicle of our nation’s rich past. They are tangible relics that directly connect us to the individuals and events that shaped our nation. The letters and manuscripts our leaders wrote, the documents they signed, and the artifacts they held allow as visceral a connection as possible. A unique July 1776 printing of the Declaration of Independence. The Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln. Manuscript and printed drafts of the U.S. Constitution. Robert E. Lee’s farewell order to his troops. Letters and speeches penned by Washington, Jefferson, Adams—and many others—on war, religion, slavery, and government. A famous Hassam flag painting. Portraits of George Washington. These are all among the treasures we have acquired for our clients. Seth Kaller is a leading expert in acquiring and appraising American historic documents and artifacts. He has built museum-quality collections for individuals and institutions, as well as legacy collections for philanthropic gifting. Kaller is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA), the Professional Autograph Dealers Association (PADA), the American Antiquarian Society, the Manuscript Society, the New-York Historical Society’s Chairman’s Council, and the Papers of Abraham Lincoln Advisory Board.
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