Oration on the Life and Character of Lafayette

This copy of the Oration on the Life and Character of Lafayette by John Quincy Adams is unique in that in no longer contains any covers or title page, but does contain the entire oration (pages 3 to 88) and the Appendix – "Proceedings in Congress" (pages 89 to 96). The item, which measures approximately 5.75 inches wide by 8.5 inches tall by 0.25 inches thick, is currently string bound, with assistance from staples. The first page (page 3) is deeply tanned, with the oration title hand written in pencil at the top of the page, and wrinkling close to the spine and dog ears at the outer corners. Subsequent pages are in good to very good condition, with the text clear and easily read. The benefit of these unique features to a potential owner is that the price of the item is well below those copies with pristine characteristics, but still provides the complete oration and Appendix to a reader interested in the subject.

The illustrations accompanying this description show the oration's first page (page 3), two typical 2-page spreads of the oration's text, a 2-page spread showing the last page of the oration and the first page of the Appendix, and a typical 2-page spread of the Appendix text.

Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, Marquis de La Fayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette, was a French nobleman and military officer who volunteered to join the Continental Army, led by General George Washington, in the American Revolutionary War. Lafayette was ultimately permitted to command Continental Army troops in the decisive siege of Yorktown in 1781, the Revolutionary War's final major battle that secured American independence. After returning to France, Lafayette became a key figure in the French Revolution of 1789 and the July Revolution of 1830 and continues to be celebrated as a hero in both France and the United States. [Wikipedia]

John Quincy Adams (July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was an American statesman, politician, diplomat, lawyer, and diaristwho served as the sixth presidenr of the United States, from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States secretary of state from 1817 to 1825. During his long diplomatic and political career, Adams served as an ambassador and also as a member of the United States Congress representing Massachusetts in both chambers. He was the eldest son of John Adams, who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801, and First Lady Abigail Adams. Initially a Federalist like his father, he won election to the presidency as a member of the Democratic-Republican Party, and later, in the mid-1830s, became affiliated with the Whig Party. [Wikipedia]