‎"MONROE, JAMES + MORRIS BIRKBECK.‎
‎A Narrative of A Tour of Observation, made during the Summer of 1817. By James Monroe, President of The United States, through The Nort-Eastern and North-Western Departments of the Union: with a View to The Examination of their several military Defenc... - [INVALUABLE ACCOUNTS OF THE EARLY YEARS OF THE UNITED STATES]‎

‎Philadelphia, S.A. Mitchell & H. Ames, 1818 + Philadelphia, Caleb Richardson, 1817. Small 8vo. Bound in one cont. hcalf. Raised bands. Gilt titlelabel in leather(this having some scratches). Monroe: 228,XXXVI pp. - Birkbeck: 189 pp.‎

Reference : 28578

‎First edition of President Monroe's highly important inspection-journey, which constitutes an immensely important historical document that provides invaluable insight into the early years of the United States, bound together with the very scarce first edition of Birkbeck's travels, which is considered ""One of the most interesting and instructive books that have appeared for many years."" (Sabin). Monroe’s “Narrative Tour…” constitutes a detailed account of his three month long journey, taking him as far west as Detroit. The official aim of the tour was to inspect the American defenses along the border with Canada, visiting military installations, reviewing troops, and confirming that the Rush-Bagot Pact with Britain to limit naval arms on the Great Lakes had been implemented. But Monroe had another just as powerful agenda, namely encountering the American population across the country and connecting with them. He wished to encourage the spirit of the population and through optimism secure the continued building of a strong country. This fascinating account provides detailed descriptions of the people Monroe met, the places he visited, and the events he attended. Although primarily focused on military matters and economic development (he visited many factories and mills to observe the state of American industry), Monroe’s accounts of interaction with the population (he also met up with Native American tribes) are just as interesting. “President Monroe visited the main cities along the Atlantic Seaboard as far as Portland, Maine, and from there he traveled through New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York. In Buffalo, New York, he boarded and early steamboat and voyaged down Lake Erie and the Detroit River to Detroit, the westernmost point of his trip. He spent five days in Detroit and Detroiters held parties, receptions, and balls in his honor. The President also visited Monroe, Michigan, which its citizens had recently named for him. The excitement and good feelings of his visit and the accounts that dignitaries and observers wrote about his visit helped erase the negative “interminable swamp” image that Easterners held of Michigan. After his Michigan visit President Monroe turned southeast and traveled back to Washington D.C. by way of Zanesville, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Fredericktown, Maryland. His trip took fifteen weeks and allowed him to meet more people than any other President of his time. He had such a positive impact on Americans that the Boston Columbian Centinel dubbed the eight years of his presidency “the Era of Good Feelings”.” Birbeck's ""Notes on a Journey in America..."" likewise constitutes a travelogue, written in 1818. It describes his journey from Virginia to Illinois, where he intended to establish a settlement for English emigrants. The work provides detailed descriptions of the landscape, climate, and people that Birbeck encountered along the way. Discussing also his observations on American society and politics and comparing it to England at the time, the work provides a unique perspective on early 19th-century America, as seen through the eyes of a European. The later editions have a map, which was not issues with the first edition, and the many later contemporary editions were printed outside The United States. The first edition, printed in the US, is very rare. Sabin: 50023 + 5569. ‎