Heritage of Freedom: The History & Significance of the Basic Documents of American Liberty

Small 4to. Grey cloth, pictorial dust jacket. 150pp. Numerous illustrations. Near fine/good plus. Some jacket edgewear and several small edge chips, with jacket spine slightly faded and large chip at tail of jacket spine. A tight, attractive second printing of this text "presenting and explaining the documents on the Freedom Train" -- a once-in-a-lifetime gathering of over one hundred original significant documents, ranging from early colonial to General Yamashita's 1945 surrender to the American forces in the Philippines, aboard a special train that toured the U.S. Many are illustrated full page. This copy bears fine extra illustration: Tipped facing half-title page is an original 8½" X 6½" glossy black-and-white news agency photograph (International News Photo), with original printed caption (in laid-in sleeve) dated 23 April 1947. Titled "Reveal Plans for ' Freedom Train,'" the caption reads: "At a White House meeting yesterday, Attorney General Tom Clark outlined to a gathering of prominent citizens of the American Heritage Foundation plans for sending a 'Freedom Train' on a 200-city, 23,000-mile tour. The train will carry more than 100 great historical documents that have established American political freedom." This copy also bears a frontispiece unique to this copy alone, a Typed Letter Signed from Monaghan, 1p, 8½" X 10 3/4", New Haven, CT, 13 November 1940. Addressed to noted Lincoln/Civil War scholar Arnold F. Gates (1914-93). Very good. Two original light horizontal folds. On cream "Yale University Department of History" letterhead, Monaghan chats cordially about his work and sends this admirer "thanks for your letter with all its good wishes. I am also glad to have your mention of Cavalcade and your reference to the enduring value of John Jay. I have coming out in April a volume on New York City in 1789 which I am certain you will enjoy. I am also working on a biography of our good friend Alexander Hamilton, but that is not scheduled for several years." Boldly signed in full in black ink at the close. Monaghan (1904-69) was professor of history at New York University who wrote, edited and consulted on a wide variety of books, such as the popular anthology "The Cavalcade of America"; his mention of Jay certainly refers to his 1935 study "John Jay Defender of Liberty," but apparently his book on Hamilton never saw light of day. A nice dust jacketed copy containing a desirable original news agency photograph and good content author letter-- highly unusual.…