1774 UNITE OR DIE CARTOON by Ben Franklin Philadelphia Newspaper - Editor's Copy

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

1774 UNITE OR DIE CARTOON by Ben Franklin Philadelphia Newspaper - Editor's Copy:
$18000.00

1774 UNITE OR DIE CARTOON by Ben Franklin Philadelphia Newspaper - Editor's Copy Offered is an original, historic, & collectible old newspaper: THE PENNSYLVANIA JOURNAL; AND THE WEEKLY ADVERTISER, Philadelphia, December 7, 1774

* Benjamin Franklin's "Unite Or Die" cartoon
* Editor's copy (see below)

If there was one graphic which represented the spirit of the Revolutionary War it would have to be the ubiquitous segmented snake with the famous "Unite Or Die" caption.
The engraving, a prominent device in the masthead of this newspaper, shows a snake cut into various pieces, each with a label of a colony with the implied message that only by each of the separate colonies uniting under a single cause could the country--the snake--hope to strike back & be successful in defeating the British.
Ben Franklin is credited with creating this device, considered the very first political cartoon when he used it in his Pennsylvania Gazette in 1754 to rally the colonies to unite during the advent of the French & Indian War. It would become a symbol of colonial freedom during the Revolutionary War. This engraving is found in most history books, but very rarely is such an edition of the Pennsylvania Journal found & offered to the collector market.
The ftpg. has a note from London: "...that the Court have offered the command of the troops in America to Sir William Draper in consequence of his connections in New York; but it is not yet determined whether he will be invested with the command or not: but all are now discontented with the conduct of General Gage."
Another ftpg. bit includes: "The state or importance of the American colonies is so little understood or regarded by the cunning people at the West end of the town that I am told they have universally agreed that if all our settlements there were at the bottom of the sea, it would be much better for England...It behooves every Englishman to endeavour to promote the welfare of the Americans, since on that our own have such a great dependence." Also another interesting item: "By his time the Americans know their fate: That General Gage had...orders to prevent the congress at any rate, and to take those deputed into custody. If these orders were executed, it must either set all America in a flame, or damp the small fire of liberty that existed."
Page 2 has a nice items concerning the Coercive Acts with American content on page 3 as well including one bit: "...as they convey the sense of the worthy FREEMEN of America against those oppressive measures adopted by a tyrannic ministry: success attend your worthy Countrymen--and may the assassins who attempt to invade the smallest part of the American constitution experience the punishment allotted to traitors...May the brave Americans rise superior to all their unmerited oppressions & may they triumph over all their enemies!..." with more.
Four pages, a few editor's marks near the margins of pages 1 and 2, nice condition. An exceedingly rare opportunity for a most desirable, displayable, and rare newspaper. Please Note: All of our offerings are 100% authentic! We do not offer reprints or reproductions of any kind. They are guaranteed to be original!
Links to Archival Storage Options & Certificates of Authenticity Are Below! Historical reports may be beautifulor ugly, but they are always informative. While we rejoice in the beautiful (heroic, discovery, amazing feats, etc.), we at History's Newsstand also offer "the ugly" for we are determined to learn from the wrongs of the past - understanding, to do so, we must be willing to look these wrongs directly in the face and shout "NO MORE!". It is for this reason many Black Americans collect historic slave ads, Jews collect reports regarding the Holocaust, women collect coverage of the Women's Suffrage Movement, etc.. If you find any to be offensive, we agree! Hopefully this is an indication we are moving in the right direction.
Domestic Shipping Policy...

For this specific item, AU.S.winner pays $10.00 S&H.If multiple items are purchased and paid for simultaneously, the S&H will be calculated by usingthe highest item's S&H as the base cost, and then adding a small amount for each additional newspaper. The per-item additional cost for newspapers, folders, portfolios, and presentation cases vary according to size and weight.
All U.S. orders include in-house insurance at no additional cost to the buyer and include delivery confirmation.
All orders include tracking & delivery confirmation.
Orders ship within 24 business hours of receiving payment.
Some small items may be shipped 1st Class. We will still provide tracking and insure them at our expense.

Combined Shipping Notice
If the automated checkout process does not properly combine shipping, we will refund overages automatically. If you prefer, contact us prior to payment to obtain a revised invoice. International Shipping Policy...

If the S&H to your location is not given, international buyers/winners should contact us for an invoicewhich includes S&H.
Import duties, taxes, VAT. etc. are not included in our quoted S&H. These charges are the buyer’s responsibility.
Note: We will not falsify customs declarations or mark an item as a "gift" in order to avoid customs fees.
If insurance is desired, be in touch for a quote. All insured orders are subject to customs, duties, & taxesfor the amount insuredand are the buyer's responsibility.
International purchasers are encouraged to take advantage of our combined shipping policyto lower the cost per item S&H. If you wish to take advantage of combined shipping, please do not pay for any until you are finished - and then contact us for a combined invoice.

If You Are Unhappy With Your Order
We make every effort to provide the best possible buying experience. If we fall short of your expectations in any way,please contact usso we can try to make things right for you. Archival Storage... ...is available for an additional $11.25, plus an appropriate adjustment to S&H (see above Shipping Policy). If desired, purchase this directly (through ) at: archival storage folder. Again, to insure you will receive the appropriately sized folder for your item, please select the $11.25 folder option. Certificate of Authenticity... A certificate of authenticity is also available for an additional $3.00, which includes both the issue date and title, and certifies, by Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers, the issue to be authentic & original. If desired, purchase this directly (through ) at: certificate of authenticity. About Us... Contact Information...

We have been both collectors and dealers in rare newspapers since 1975, serve as consultants to multiple museums, and are members of both the Ephemera Society of America and the American Antiquarian Society.offer & Buy with confidenceknowing every item we offer is guaranteed to be authentic.

Timothy Hughes Rare Newspapers
P.O. Box 3636
Williamsport, PA 17701-8636

Hours: M-F, 7:30-4:00 EST

View our additional offerings

"...desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things." Hebrews 13:18

In an effort to honor 's policies and our loyal customers who watch our listings,
we do not end sale items early. We hope you understand!

"Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter." Thomas Jefferson