Williams, Samuel; The Natural and Civil History of Vermont. Isaiah Thomas and David Carlisle Jr., Walpole, New Hampshire: 1794. Original map, (12 x 15”) engraved by James Whitelaw, dated 1793. Large octavo, pp. xvi, 416, folded 12” x 15” map of Vermont engraved by James Whitelaw dated 1793.
The book is complete and in the original calf with gilt spine titles. Binding is tight, spine restored and titles partially perished. Inner hinges repaired, owners book plate on paste down, end sheets toned. The map and text are very clean. In good condition.
Williams (1743-1817) was a Congregational minister, Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy at Harvard, and a founder of the University of Vermont. He wrote on numerous topics and made astronomical observations which were used to establish the border between Vermont and Canada. His best known work is his 1794 Natural and Civil History of Vermont.
The work includes chapters on the natural resources including mineral resources of Vermont, its climate, agricultural production (with a scientific treatise on the effect of trees on the environment), natural history, native Indians, early settlement, relations with the neighboring states, social institutions and customs, government, and participation in the American Revolution.