Published in 1793, this prophetic book was engraved on eighteen plates, on which only fourteen copies are known to have survived. America a Prophecy is the first of Blake’s Continental Prophecies, a group of illuminated books now widely studied for their unorthodox use of political, literary and sexual metaphors. All aspects of the production of these works, including the composition of the designs, the printing, colouring and the selling of them, happened at Blake’s Lambeth home. During autumn 1790, Blake had worked there in a studio at the new house. America a Prophecy was the first book printed by Blake to list the place of origin and his full name on the title page, demonstrating that the poet chose to continue promoting his visions of revolution, even though parliament had passed acts against seditious writings earlier that year.
Only a few of Blake’s works were fully coloured and America a Prophecy was one of the few works that Blake describes as “illuminated printing”, which were either hand coloured or colour printed with the ink being placed on the copperplate before being printed. Like many of Blake’s other works, the book offers a mythological narrative and is considered a prophecy text, though only America a Prophecy and Europe a Prophecy were ever given that title by the poet.