A philosophical discourse, addressed to the American academy of arts and sciences, in the presence of a respectable audience, assembled at the meeting-house in Brattle-street, in Boston, on the eighth of November, M,DCC,LXXX, after the inauguration of the president into office. By James Bowdoin.

After nearly 60 years of collecting, Sid Lapidus ’59 has presented to the Library more than 2700 volumes representing the fruits of his enthusiasm. Broadly conceived, the collection charts the definition and re-definiton of rights and liberties endemic to Western political traditions. The main focus is texts and documents relating to the American Revolution, its run-up dating back to the Commonwealth men, and coming down to documents of the early Federal government.