Settlers, Liberty, and Empire: The Roots of Early American Political Theory, 1675–1775

by Craig Yirush

Settlers, Liberty, and Empire traces the emergence of a revolutionary conception of political authority on the far shores of the eighteenth-century Atlantic world. Based on the equal natural right of English subjects to leave the realm, claim indigenous territory, and establish new governments by consent, this radical set of ideas culminated in revolution and republicanism. But unlike most scholarship on early American political theory, Craig Yirush does not focus solely on the revolutionary era of the late eighteenth century. Instead, he examines how the political ideas of settler elites in British North America emerged in the often-forgotten years between the Glorious Revolution in America and the American Revolution against Britain. By taking seriously an imperial world characterized by constitutional uncertainty, geo-political rivalry, and the ongoing presence of powerful Native American peoples, Yirush provides a long-term explanation for the distinctive ideas of the American Revolution.

Genres: History, Politics, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published February 28, 2011

Reviews

[lizzielee2003]

***review to come (after i write my official academic book review) ***

[Patrick Ma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good summary of how the ideals of natural rights came to be a centerpiece of the American revolution. Too many quotes at times.

[Kyle Trowbridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic read covering pre-Revolutionary political thought in America. And if you would like to learn more and to crowd out some of the legal ambiguities surrounding homesteading principles of ownership, seek out the first chapter of this book.