Colonial Massachusetts Laws and Liberties and the English Commonwealth - (Legal History Library) by Charles Edward Smith (Hardcover)

About the Book

Colonial Massachusetts law books were influenced by long term influences such as the English Commonwealth, the Reformation, and English law reform. This volume explores how Massachusetts government and its laws developed in tandem with forces unleashed by the English Revolution and Civil Wars.

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

"Smith offers a novel contribution to an emerging historiography of Puritan politics in New England, a subject that has largely escaped scholarly attention."- Yisroel Benporat, in: Journal of the American Revolution, October 20th, 2025

About the Author

Charles Edward Smith, Ph.D. (1998), University of Chicago, has recently retired from the US Dept. of Defense, where he served as the Director of Legislative Operations in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs.