Political Thought of the American Revolution: A Reader

Political Thought of the American Revolution: A Reader is a two-volume, primary source anthology, the purpose of which is to introduce teachers and students of the American Revolution to the thought, policies, laws, and constitutions of the best American and British thinkers and statesmen in the period between 1761 and 1780 as they discussed, deliberated, speculated, theorized, debated, compromised, and decided which path forward to take. This first volume, subtitled “The Imperial Crisis and Independence,” assembles some of the most important tracts of the conflict between Great Britain and her American colonies in the years between 1760 and 1776.

The tracts of Volume I allow readers to study the colonists’ grievances against Great Britain, their various rhetorical strategies, and the development of their moral and political thought that led to the Declaration of Independence. Each document is preceded by a headnote, which provides readers with a relatively brief introduction to the author or authors of each document and the context in which it was written. Each volume features an Introduction by the editor that identifies and sums up the major themes of the revolutionary conflict. It is hoped these two volumes will launch a renaissance in the teaching, study, and scholarship of the American Revolution.