The Struggle for Sovereignty

Seventeenth-Century English Political Tracts

Nonfiction, History, European General
Cover of the book The Struggle for Sovereignty by , Liberty Fund Inc.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: ISBN: 9781614871712
Publisher: Liberty Fund Inc. Publication: June 1, 1999
Imprint: Liberty Fund Inc. Language: English
Author:
ISBN: 9781614871712
Publisher: Liberty Fund Inc.
Publication: June 1, 1999
Imprint: Liberty Fund Inc.
Language: English

For much of Europe the seventeenth century was, as it has been termed, an “Age of Absolutism” in which single rulers held tremendous power. Yet the English in the same century succeeded in limiting the power of their monarchs. The English Civil War in midcentury and the Glorious Revolution of 1688 were the culmination of a protracted struggle between kings eager to consolidate and even extend their power and subjects who were eager to identify and defend individual liberties. The source and nature of sovereignty was of course the central issue. Did sovereignty reside solely with the Crown—as claimed theorists of “the divine right”? Or did sovereignty reside in a combination of Crown and Parliament—or perhaps in only the House of Commons—or perhaps, again, in the common law, or even in “the people”?

To advance one or another of these views, scholars, statesmen, lawyers, clergy, and unheralded citizens took to their books—and then to their pens. History, law, and scripture were revisited in a quest to discover the proper relationship between ruler and ruled, between government and the governed. Pamphlets abounded as never before. An entire literature of political discourse resulted from this extraordinary outpouring—and vigorous exchange—of views. The results are of a more than merely antiquarian interest. The political tracts of the English peoples in the seventeenth century established enduring principles of governance and of liberty that benefited not only themselves but the founders of the American republic. These writings, by the renowned (Coke, Sidney, Shaftesbury) and the unremembered (“Anonymous”) therefore constitute an enduring contribution to the historical record of the rise of ordered liberty. Volume I of The Struggle for Sovereignty consists of pamphlets written from the reign of James I to the Restoration (1620–1660). Volume II encompasses writings from the Restoration through the Glorious Revolution of 1688–1689. All of the major issues and writers are represented. Each volume includes an introduction and chronology.

Joyce Lee Malcolm is Professor of History at Bentley College.

Please note: This title is available as an ebook for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iTunes.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

For much of Europe the seventeenth century was, as it has been termed, an “Age of Absolutism” in which single rulers held tremendous power. Yet the English in the same century succeeded in limiting the power of their monarchs. The English Civil War in midcentury and the Glorious Revolution of 1688 were the culmination of a protracted struggle between kings eager to consolidate and even extend their power and subjects who were eager to identify and defend individual liberties. The source and nature of sovereignty was of course the central issue. Did sovereignty reside solely with the Crown—as claimed theorists of “the divine right”? Or did sovereignty reside in a combination of Crown and Parliament—or perhaps in only the House of Commons—or perhaps, again, in the common law, or even in “the people”?

To advance one or another of these views, scholars, statesmen, lawyers, clergy, and unheralded citizens took to their books—and then to their pens. History, law, and scripture were revisited in a quest to discover the proper relationship between ruler and ruled, between government and the governed. Pamphlets abounded as never before. An entire literature of political discourse resulted from this extraordinary outpouring—and vigorous exchange—of views. The results are of a more than merely antiquarian interest. The political tracts of the English peoples in the seventeenth century established enduring principles of governance and of liberty that benefited not only themselves but the founders of the American republic. These writings, by the renowned (Coke, Sidney, Shaftesbury) and the unremembered (“Anonymous”) therefore constitute an enduring contribution to the historical record of the rise of ordered liberty. Volume I of The Struggle for Sovereignty consists of pamphlets written from the reign of James I to the Restoration (1620–1660). Volume II encompasses writings from the Restoration through the Glorious Revolution of 1688–1689. All of the major issues and writers are represented. Each volume includes an introduction and chronology.

Joyce Lee Malcolm is Professor of History at Bentley College.

Please note: This title is available as an ebook for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iTunes.

More books from Liberty Fund Inc.

Cover of the book Essays on Church, State, and Politics by
Cover of the book Pennsylvania and the Federal Constitution, 1787–1788 by
Cover of the book The History of the Origins of Representative Government in Europe by
Cover of the book In Defense of the Constitution by
Cover of the book Judgments on History and Historians by
Cover of the book Can Capitalism Survive? by
Cover of the book Tyranny Unmasked by
Cover of the book On Temporal and Spiritual Authority by
Cover of the book Liberty in Mexico by
Cover of the book An Essay on the Nature and Conduct of the Passions and Affections, with Illustrations on the Moral Sense by
Cover of the book Cato: A Tragedy, and Selected Essays by
Cover of the book George Washington by
Cover of the book Colonial Origins of the American Constitution by
Cover of the book A Letter Concerning Toleration and Other Writings by
Cover of the book Economic Sophisms and “What Is Seen and What Is Not Seen” by
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy