John Adams and the Constitutional History of the Medieval British Empire

Compares constitutional arguments at the time of the American Revolution with the constitutional history of medieval BritainArgues that the American revolutionaries were influenced by institutions and ideas developed in the Middle Ages Focuses on John Adams' writings, demonstrating how Adams turned to the constitutional history of medieval Britain to challenge the claims of the contemporary British government

James Muldoon is Emeritus Professor of History at Rutgers University, USA, and Researcher-in-Residence at The John Carter Brown Library, USA.

Introduction: The Eighteenth Century and the Middle Ages.- 1 The Norman Yoke: Feudal Law.- 2 The Norman Yoke: Canon Law.- 3 Daniel Leonard and the Modern British Empire.- 4 Is there a British Empire?.- 5 Imperial Origins: Wales, Ireland, America.- 6 Empire by Consent.- Conclusion.