The American Revolution: A Constitutional Interpretation

Name: The American Revolution: A Constitutional Interpretation
Author: Charles Howard McIlwain
ISBN: 9781025274744

Charles Howard McIlwain

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The American Revolution: A Constitutional Interpretation

Charles Howard McIlwain

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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. 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. The American Revolution: A Constitutional Interpretation won the Pulitzer Prize for History and remains an essential text for understanding the intellectual and legal framework that shaped the founding of the United States.

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