The American Revolution: A Constitutional Interpretation
Select Format
Select Condition 
Book Overview
"The American Revolution: A Constitutional Interpretation" is a profound examination of the legal and political foundations of the conflict between Great Britain and its North American colonies. Charles Howard McIlwain presents a compelling argument that the Revolution was fundamentally a constitutional dispute regarding the nature of the British Empire rather than a purely social or economic uprising. By analyzing the historical relationship between the Crown, Parliament, and the colonies, the work explores whether the British Parliament possessed the legal authority to legislate for subjects across the Atlantic.
This scholarly study delves into the deep precedents of the English constitution, the status of the "dominions," and the evolving interpretations of sovereignty that eventually necessitated the Declaration of Independence. Awarded the Pulitzer Prize for History, "The American Revolution: A Constitutional Interpretation" remains an essential text for understanding the intellectual and legal framework that shaped the founding of the United States. It offers a rigorous defense of the colonial position, asserting that the resistance of the colonists was rooted in established constitutional principles and a defense of their rights as subjects within the empire. This work is indispensable for students of American history, constitutional law, and political theory.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
Customer Reviews
ThriftBooks® and the ThriftBooks® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
