{"product_id":"1839-smithsonian-institution-bill-john-quincy-adams-proposed-national-observatory-original-congressional-printing","title":"1839 Smithsonian Institution Bill — John Quincy Adams — Proposed National Observatory — Original Congressional Printing","description":"\u003cp data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn early legislative document in the development of the Smithsonian Institution: House Bill 1160, reported by former President John Quincy Adams from the Joint Committee on the Smithsonian Fund on February 16, 1839.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIssued during the third session of the Twenty-Fifth Congress, this five-page bill proposes a framework for administering James Smithson’s bequest to the United States for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIts provisions establish a proposed governing body, authorize the appointment of a secretary and treasurer, protect the fund’s principal, and provide for interest at six percent annually. Particularly noteworthy is the appropriation of $30,000 toward an astronomical observatory in Washington, equipped with scientific instruments and books, with provision for publishing observations and a nautical almanac.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe bill records John Quincy Adams’s vision for the Smithsonian as a center for astronomical research. It predates the institution’s establishment in 1846 and represents an earlier proposal rather than the final enacted charter.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWashington, 1839. Five printed pages, with numbered legislative lines, housed in later marbled-paper wrappers. Adams’s name appears in print; unsigned.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition: Light age toning, minor spotting and edge wear, small marginal chips or nicks, and pencil annotations on the first page. Text appears complete through page five. Attractive later marbled wrappers.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA desirable document connecting presidential history, American astronomy, and the origins of the Smithsonian Institution.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Archive Authority","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44751646916686,"sku":null,"price":495.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0768\/8155\/9630\/files\/IMG_4051.jpg?v=1793485755","url":"https:\/\/thearchiveauthority.com\/products\/1839-smithsonian-institution-bill-john-quincy-adams-proposed-national-observatory-original-congressional-printing","provider":"The Archive Authority","version":"1.0","type":"link"}