ANNUAL REGISTER OR A VIEW OF THE HISTORY, POLITICS AND LITERATURE FOR THE YEAR 1776; Annual Register or a View of the History, Politics and Literature for the Year 1776

London, England: J. Dodsley, 1788. The Fourth Edition. Leater. Covers Fair; Textblock Very Good.. 4th edition. Boards detached but present. Polished leather. 5 raised bands. iv,-270, 259, [9] pages. 23cm. Very light age-tanning throughout. Although a later reprint,it is interesting for the weight it gives to various topics. For example, it begins on the first page discussing in worried tones the American war and especially the danger to Canada. Later it becomes for confident (arrogant?) in discussing the events in New York.

The title page of the first section (The History of Europe), bears the contemporary signature of "Eben Huntington" followed by the date "1789". This book almost certainly belonged to Ebenezer Huntington (1754-1834), a Connecticut native who served during the American Revolution who participated in the Siege of Boston, marched with Washington to New York, fought in the battles of Rhode Island and Springfield (New Jersey), Witnessed the surrender of Cornwallis, and was promoted from Lieutenant Colonel to Brigadier General. He also served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.

Contains one of the earliest printings of the Declaration of Independence pp. 261-264)(here entitled: "Reasons assigned by the Continental Congress, for the North American Colonies and Provinces withdrawing their Allegiance to the King of Great-Britain") and the Articles of Confederation (pp. 264-270)) under an assortment of documents called "State Papers", but neither comments i[on them or even seems to understand, or care about their signficance. Indeed, the section begins with an editorial commentary stating: "The two following Papers seem to exhibit the Extremes of Zeal and Indifference, with whichthe Powers of Europe regard the present Quarrel between Great Britain,and her North-American Colonies; and, therefore, cannot but be entertaining to the Reader". This book is probably as close as one can get to the mind-set of the British as they fumble their misunderstanding way to eventual disaster. Book divided into sections, the first of which, entitled "The History of Europe". While this section addresses British Empire's concerns throughout Europe and elsewhere, it devotes a goodly portion of its192 pp. to blow-by-blow descriptions of hostilities between Britain and the American colonies. The following section entitled "Characters" (64 pages in length) covers the deeds and accomplishments of various historical personages, or peoples such as the Romans, the Mexicans, the Acadians (Cajuns), a German Princess, etc. Then a 45-pp section on "Natural History", including a section involving subjecting animals (carp, a dormouse, a toad, a snail) to extremes of hot and cold, and then similar treatment to vegetables; next section entitled "Projects" including "Rifling Gun-barrels, and feathering arrows by a Mr. Emerson. Subsequent sections are entitled "Antiquities" comprising several historical miscellanies; "Miscellaneous Essays"; "Poetry", an "Account of Books" including discussion of recently published titles including Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations.

The most fascinating section, however, is the 135-page section immediately following "The History of Europe" entitled "Chronicles", and contains anecdotal reportage of day-to-day events and occurrences in eighteenth-century Britain, from fires and murders, to deaths and robberies (including the holdup of a woman in a stage by a robber "dressed in white cloathes and a gold-laced hat" who demanded the lady's money and as he pocketed her money, reached into another pocket and "gave her a small diamond hoop ring, which he presented to the lady, desiring her to wear it for the sake of an extraordinary robber, who made it a point nof honour to take. no more from a beautiful lady, than he could make a return for in value. He then, with great agility, vaulted over the wall, and disappeared..." All in all, this section provides a precise view into life as it was lived three quarters through that (18th) century.