The classics of the ancient world are everywhere in the literature of the Revolution, but thet are everywhere illustrative, not determinative, of tho…

- Bernard Bailyn

The categories within which the colonists thought about the social foundations of politics were inheritances from classical antiquity, reshaped by se…

- Bernard Bailyn

Incorporating in their colorful, slashing, superbly readable pages, the major themes of the "left" opposition under Walpole, these libertarian tracts…

- Bernard Bailyn

Everyone knew that democracy - direct rule by all the people - required such spartan, soul-denying virtue on the part of all the people that it was l…

- Bernard Bailyn

The most powerful presentations were based on legal precedents, especially Calvin's Case (1608), which, it was claimed, proved on the authority of Co…

- Bernard Bailyn

Whatever deficiencies the leaders of the American Revolution may have had, reticence, fortunately, was not one of them.

- Bernard Bailyn

That by 1774 the final crisis of the constitution, brought on by political and social corruption, had been reached was, to most informed colonists, e…

- Bernard Bailyn

Instantly available without continuous presence is probably the best role a mother can play.

- Bernard Bailyn

The primary function of a constitution was to mark out the boundaries of governmental powers-hence in England, where there was no constitution , ther…

- Bernard Bailyn