Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA, ca. 1790
Scarce 1st Ed. Pennsylvania's Second Constitution, 1790
Pamphlet/Booklet

A first edition copy of "The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as Altered and Amended by the Convention For that Purpose?". Philadelphia: Printed by Zachariah Poulson, 1790. First edition. 8vo. (ii), 28 pp.; lacking rear blank.

Three-quarter brown morocco over marbled paper-covered boards, stamped in gilt, rubbing to boards, spine, and extremities; top edge gilt, other edges untrimmed. Featuring a book-plate of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania on front paste-down (with their deaccession stamp to same). Edges of first leaf repaired, with additional repair in center of same affecting two letters on verso; scattered foxing throughout. Contemporary inscriptions on recto of first leaf, with the ownership signature of Jacob P. Jones found on front end and title pages.

Ratified in 1790, this amended constitution replaced the state's first, originally passed in 1776, taming what was considered the world's most democratic charter and its most egalitarian features. In comparison to the first, the second constitution divided the General Assembly into two chambers: the House and the Senate, and vested the previously weak governor with more robust powers, such as veto power. The Convention set to revise the constitution met in the late fall 1789 into the winter of 1790, and was heavily influenced by the Federal Constitutional Convention and state debates on ratification that had taken place the previous year.

Jacob P. Jones is likely the same Jones who was born in Philadelphia in 1802, and became an iron merchant, and who in 1836 formed the iron and steel firm Morris and Jones, later Morris, Wheeler, & Co. Jones was also a director of the Bank of North America, the Pennsylvania Company for the insurance of Lives and Granting Annuities, the Westmoreland Coal Company, benefactor of Haverford College, and manager of the Pennsylvania Hospital. He died in May, 1885.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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5.5" x 9"