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List of contents
Contents: Introduction; Constructing a model of republican empires; Early constitutional structures; Creating the imperial constitution; The struggle over the form, character, and direction of the new empire; The republican empire of conquest; Chief Justice John Marshall’s Hamiltonian empire: turning constitutional conventions into constitutional law; Imperial competition during the ante-bellum era; John C. Calhoun, Dred Scott v. Sandford and the Lincoln-Douglas debates: turning constitutional theories and conventions into constitutional law; The formation of the modern American empire; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.
Summary
This title was first published in 2002. Within The Imperial Republic, James Wilson addresses the enduring relationship that the American constitution has with the concept of empire. His research from colonial times to the turn of the twentieth century leads him to conclude that imperial ambition has profoundly influenced American constitutional law, theory and politics.
Additional text
’Much thought these days demands our attention because of its urgency and it is surely a matter of great urgency to understand the imperial cast of the polity of the United States. It is to such an understanding that this bravura offered by James Wilson contributes enormously.’ Professor Peter Fitzpatrick, University of London, UK ’This deeply-informed and insightful study challenges preconceptions and offers new and provocative perspectives for understanding of the nature and roots of our society and culture and its place in the world. It should be essential reading for those who take seriously the responsibilities of citizenship in a free society.’ Professor Noam Chomsky, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA 'This very fine, thought provoking book provides a fresh perspective on American constitutional development from the Founding to the end of the 19th century...If it gets the attention it deserves, Wilson's book will generate new thought and new ideas from critics and supporters alike.' Constitutional Commentary
