Colonial Massachusetts Laws and Liberties and the English Commonwealth
Download or Read eBook Colonial Massachusetts Laws and Liberties and the English Commonwealth PDF written by Charles Edward Smith and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2024-09-26 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle.
Author | : Charles Edward Smith |
Publisher | : BRILL |
Total Pages | : 388 |
Release | : 2024-09-26 |
ISBN-10 | : 9789004706347 |
ISBN-13 | : 9004706348 |
Rating | : 4/5 (47 Downloads) |
Book Synopsis Colonial Massachusetts Laws and Liberties and the English Commonwealth by : Charles Edward Smith
Book excerpt: On July 4, 1653, the Nominate or Barebones Parliament convened with a minority of committed radicals (Levellers and religious extremists) and a conservative majority of Cromwell’s allies. During acrimonious debates on law reform, the radicals demanded a condensed law book similar to the one adopted in Colonial Massachusetts. These mostly overlooked events reveal a radical wing of Puritanism determined to found a self-governing state, fully cognizant of the real possibility that England would interdict such attempts by force of arms. This work investigates the motives for such a hazardous undertaking, and the possible influences these events had on the colony’s posterity.