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Speeches and Papers Relating to the Rebellion and the Overthrow of Slavery
By George S. Boutwell
Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1867 – First Edition
This is a significant original 1867 first edition collection of speeches and writings by George Sewall Boutwell (1818–1905), a prominent Radical Republican, Massachusetts politician, U.S. Representative, and later Secretary of the Treasury under President Ulysses S. Grant. The book compiles his key addresses from the Civil War era focusing on the fight against slavery, the Union cause, emancipation, and Reconstruction.
Key Historical Context:
Boutwell was a vocal abolitionist and early advocate for African American rights and suffrage.
Includes powerful orations such as those delivered during the war, post-emancipation celebrations, and critiques of slavery as the root of rebellion.
A primary source for students of the Civil War, Radical Republican politics, and 19th-century American oratory.
Physical Details:
Green cloth hardcover with gilt lettering on spine.
Substantial volume (approx. 628+ pages).
Stereotyped and printed by John Wilson and Son, Cambridge.
Condition (Honest Description – Review All Photos):
Good vintage condition for a 159-year-old book.
Binding is intact but shows expected wear: rubbing to edges/corners, some scuffs on cloth, and minor bumping.
Pages exhibit typical age toning, foxing, and occasional spotting but remain legible and complete.
No major tears, missing pages, or loose sections noted. Solid reading/display copy with character.
Dimensions: Standard octavo size (thick volume – see photos for scale).
What's Included: The book exactly as photographed.
Outstanding addition to any Civil War, abolitionist, or American political history collection. Scarce in the original edition!
