America a Prophecy

In the first of his "Continental Prophecies" (see also Europe and The Song of Los), Blake explores the radical paradigms of political repression and revolt through a highly imaginative treatment of the American Revolution. While historical figures such as Washington and Paine appear, much of the symbolic and thematic weight is placed on Blake's own invented mythological figures, including "Albions Angel" and "Londons Guardian" (forces of the British government), Urizen (the god of restrictive reason and the origin of political repression), and fiery Orc (the spirit of revolt). The American Revolution is viewed as a harbinger of universal revolution, epistemological as much as political.

In 1793, Blake etched in relief, with considerable white-line work in some designs, and first printed twenty-three plates for America. These include eighteen major text and design plates used in all complete copies, a small plate (e) bearing the word "Preludium" and printed above the design on plate 3, and four plates (a-d) never published, perhaps because of potentially actionable references to "the King" and "George." The first printing consisted of proof copy a (plates 1, 4, 11, 12, 15, a-c in black, dark green, and dark blue inks), copies E-G, I, K, L in greenish black or dark olive inks, and copies C, D, H, R in bluish black and blue green inks (there is no copy designated as "J"). There are three later printings: 1795 (copies A, B), c. 1807 (copy M), and 1821 (copy O). Copies N, P, and Q are posthumous.