Marcus Tullius Cicero
(106 B.C.-43 B.C.),
Philippics against Mark Antony
Speeches denouncing Antony's efforts to become dictator. Antony was
outraged and had Cicero beheaded.
[Persus Project at Tufts University]
Assize of Clarendon (1166)
Issued by England's King Henry II, this established the grand jury for
presenting criminal charges.
[Libertystory.net]
Magna
Carta (1215)
In this epic agreement, England's King John conceded major limitations
on his power, perhaps the most important being an individual's right to
trial by jury. King
John promptly disregarded Magna Carta, and it had to be affirmed several
more times.
[Libertystory.net]
The Declaration of Arbroath (1320)
The author, believed to be Bernard de Linton, the Chancellor of
Scotland, eloquently urges the Pope to demand that the English stop
oppressing the Scots.
[Constitution.org]
Dutch Declaration of Independence (1581)
The first modern declaration of independence, issued by the Dutch
against their Spanish oppressors.
[Modern History Sourcebook]
Mayflower Compact (1620)
The first agreement for a self-governing community, approved by the
people in the community.
[Libertystory.net]
The Petition of Right (1628)
With this document, the British Parliament forced King Charles I to
affirm, at least in principle, a rule of law rather than arbitrary
power. In particular, the Petition of Right protested against
arbitrary taxes, arbitrary imprisonment, forcing citizens to provide
lodging for soldiers, and in other ways infringing on the liberties of the
people.
[Libertystory.net]
Declaration to Justify Their Proceedings and
Resolution to Take Up Arms
(August 6, 1642)
Members of Parliament swear to defend their religion and the
"laws and liberties of the kingdom."
[Universitylake.org]
John Milton (1608-1674), Areopagitica
(1644)
For all practical purposes, the case for a free press began with this
speech, which became a substantial pamphlet, maintaining that people should be free to
publish what they wish without having to get a government license
beforehand. The speech was given in England's Parliament.
[Project Gutenberg]
Roger Williams, The
Bloody Tenant of
Persecution (July 15, 1644)
A passionate plea for religious toleration, by the founder of Rhode
Island (the linked source has this work by a different title).
[Constitution.org]
William
Walwyn, England's Lamentable Slaverie
(October 1645)
A protest against "intollerable oppression."
[Libertystory.net]
Richard Overton, A Remonstrance of Many
Thousand Citizens (July 7, 1646)
Responding to the imprisonment of Leveller leader John Lilburne,
Overton issued this radical attack on monarchy and presented his case for
popular sovereignty and a rule of law.
[Libertystory.net]
Richard Overton, An Arrow Against All Tyrants
(October 12, 1646)
Overton, perhaps the best of the brilliant Leveller writers, asserts
the revolutionary principle of self-ownership. "No
man has power over my rights and liberties, and I over no man's," he
wrote. He went on to say that legitimate political power flows from
the people, not from a king.
[Libertystory.net]
Leveller Petition (September 11, 1648)
This petition clearly spells out
the Leveller agenda. Among other principles, everybody should be
subject to every law of the land, including kings, queens, aristocrats and
clergy; separation of church and state; private property; free trade;
people must not be forced to testify against themselves in criminal
justice proceedings; no imprisonment for debt; no military
conscription.
[Libertystory.net]
No Papist Nor Presbyterian (December 21, 1648)
A plea for "Liberty of Conscience without exception."
In particular, religious toleration should even be extended to
Catholics, long considered a serious threat to England's security, since
two major rivals (France and Spain) were Catholic powers.
[Libertystory.net]
John
Lilburne, Englands New Chaines Discovered
(February 26, 1649)
Written after Parliament rejected An Agreement of the Free People of
England and after he had learned officials were coming after him, Lilburne
wrote this pamphlet to help keep ideas on liberty alive.
[Libertystory.net]
John
Lilburne, The Second Part of Englands New
Chaines Discovered (March 24, 1649)
A protest against tyranny whether by King, Parliament, Army or anybody
else.
[Libertystory.net]
William
Walwyn, Just Defense (1649)
Opponents of religious toleration accused Walwyn of being an atheist,
and he replied that one can be both religious and tolerant.
[Libertystory.net]
An Agreement of the Free People of England
(1649)
The Levellers' pioneering libertarian agenda, including a rule of law, secure
private property, free trade, separation of church and state and universal
suffrage. Punishments must be proportionate with crimes, defendants
wouldn't be forced to testify against themselves, people would have the
right to trial by jury, and there wouldn't be any military conscription.
[Libertystory.net]
English Habeas Corpus Act (1679)
Provided tougher penalties if government imprisoned people
without due process of law.
[Libertystory.net]
William Penn (1644-1718), Frame of Government
(April 25, 1682)
One of the most influential American colonial documents, this
distinguished between the powers of government and the rights of citizens
("Laws Agreed upon in England"). The most important rights
covered include protections for defendants in criminal justice
proceedings.
[Libertystory.net]
John Locke, A Letter Concerning Toleration
(1689)
Locke, an English exile in Holland, wrote this letter to his Dutch
friend Philip von Limborch in 1685, and in it he called to an end to the
oppression of people who held unorthodox religious views. The letter
was published without Locke's permission after he returned to England
following the "Glorious Revolution" of 1688. The letter
was criticized for being radical. Locke
wrote the letter in Latin, and it was translated by
William Popple.
[Libertystory.net]
English Bill of Rights
(December 16, 1689)
This is considered the third great charter of English liberties,
after Magna Carta and the Petition of Right. The Bill of Rights
aimed to ban the abuses of power used by the Stuart kings against their
political opponents. The Bill of Rights was passed by Parliament.
King William III and Queen Mary accepted it on December 16, 1669, and
never again did English monarchs claim their power came from God
("the divine right of kings"). As far as actual rights are
concerned, this Bill of Rights is more concerned with limiting the power
of the monarch and protecting the prerogatives of Parliament, whereas the
later American Bill of Rights protected the rights of individuals.
[Libertystory.net]
William Penn (1644-1718), Charter of
Privileges (October 28, 1701)
The charter which established Pennsylvania as a sanctuary for religious
toleration and lasted until the American Revolution.
[Libertystory.net]
Cato's Letters
(1720-1723)
Englishmen John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon anonymously wrote 144
articles which appeared in the London Journal newspaper.
These articles forcefully expressed a natural rights view and later
inspired Americans who wanted independence from England. In his book
Seedtime of the Republic, historian Clinton Rossiter called these
"the most esteemed source of political ideas in the colonial
period." Here are 17 of the articles.
[Constitution.org]
Andrew Hamilton, Defense of
Peter Zenger (August
1735)
How a Philadelphia lawyer successfully defended a New York newspaper
publisher charged with criticizing the British royal governor. This,
the Zenger case, set an important precedent for freedom of speech.
[University of Arkansas]
James Otis, "Against the Writs of
Assistance" speech (February 1761)
Spirited opposition to these writs which gave British officials the
arbitrary power to search anybody's property for anything.
[Libertystory.net]
Declaration of the Rights of the Stamp Act
Congress (October 19, 1765)
Though addressed respectfully to Britain's King George III, this
Declaration asserted that the American colonists are entitled to choose
their own representatives and that only these representatives can
legitimately enact taxes in the colonies.
[Libertystory.net]
Samuel Adams, "The Rights of the
Colonists (November 20, 1772)
The outstanding political organizer of the American Revolution, who
believed human beings are endowed with natural rights to life, liberty and
property.
[Libertystory.net]
Thomas Paine, "African Slavery in
America" (March 8, 1775)
Here's one man who saw clearly that slaves, too, are endowed with
natural rights.
[Libertystory.net]
Patrick Henry's St. John's Church speech
(March 20, 1775)
Henry's dramatic presentation, including his famous phrase "Give me liberty or give me death,"
helped inspire Americans to fight for their independence.
[Libertystory.net]
American Declaration of Independence
(July 4, 1776)
Eloquently asserted that individuals have rights regardless what laws
might say, and if governments violate those rights, then individuals may
rebel. The Declaration was approved by delegates of the Second
Continental Congress on July 4, and on August 2 the Declaration was signed
by 50 men. Five more added their signatures later.
[Constitution.org]
The Articles of Confederation (November 15,
1777)
The governing document for the association of states which which won
the American Revolutionary War and negotiated tremendous territorial
concessions from Britain which had the world's most powerful navy.
[Gerald Murphy & National Public Telecomputing Network]
U.S. Constitution (1787)
The most successful effort to limit government power with checks and
balances.
[Library of Congress]
Anti-Federalist
Papers (1787-1789)
Articles and pamphlets by a number of authors who were concerned about
the new federal government established by the Constitution. The
Anti-Federalists didn't believe it was enough to structure a government a
certain way, by having a separation of powers and checks and
balances. They insisted on a bill of rights to specifically protect
some of the most important individual rights, and our Bill of Rights has
turned out to be a bulwark of liberty.
[constitution.org]
James Madison, "Amendments to the
Constitution" speech (1789)
America's first Speaker of the House presented amendments which became
known as the Bill of Rights, further limiting government power by
specifying some things which the government must not do.
[Constitution.org]
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the
Citizen (August 26, 1789)
Drafted principally by Lafayette, this expressed the views of those
who tried, unsuccessfully, to achieve constitutional limits on government
power in France.
[Libertystory.net]
U.S. Bill of Rights (December 15, 1791)
Persuaded that the checks and balances in
the Constitution might not be enough to limit government power, the first
Congress enacted, and the states ratified 10 amendments to the
Constitution.
[Libertystory.net]
George Washington, "Farewell
Address" (September 19, 1796)
President Washington made clear he would not run for a third term, and
he delivered this address which offered advice, especially to stay out of
foreign wars.
[Libertystory.net]
Kentucky Resolution (November 16, 1798)
Thomas Jefferson and James Madison wrote this, protesting the Alien
and Sedition acts which the Federalist administration of John Adams had
passed to suppress dissent.
[Libertystory.net]
Thomas Jefferson's First Inaugural Address
(March 4, 1801)
He expressed his general principles, including "a wise and frugal
government," and he warned against "entangling alliances."
[Libertystory.net]
Daniel Webster, speech against military
conscription
(December 9, 1814)
Conscription was a consequence of the War of 1812, and later
generations reprinted this speech when conscription loomed again.
[Libertystory.net]
Thomas
Babington Macaulay (1800-1859), "Southey's Colloquies on
Society" (January 1830)
In his review of a work by the English
poet Robert Southey, historian Macaulay provides an eloquent defense of
the achievements of free markets, in particular the Industrial Revolution
which enabled millions to survive and prosper. This online text is
volume 2 of Macaulay's Historical Essays which includes the essay
on Southey.
[Project Gutenberg]
William Lloyd
Garrison's editorial launching The Liberator (January 1, 1831)
The Liberator, of course, was the greatest antislavery
newspaper, and Garrison published it for more than three decades.
[Libertystory.net]
Thomas Babington
Macaulay, "Jewish
Disabilities" speech (April 17, 1833)
Macaulay displayed a tolerant and generous spirit as demanded equal
rights for Jews.
[Libertystory.net]
An Act Abolishing Slavery in the British
Colonies (August 28, 1833)
The triumph of the British abolitionist movement.
[Libertystory.net]
Wendell Phillips, "The Murder of
Lovejoy" speech (December 8, 1837)
This was the speech that launched Phillips' career as an antislavery
orator, and reportedly he was the best.
[Libertystory.net]
Declaration of
Rights and Sentiments
(July 20, 1848)
The document which, drafted by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, helped launch
the movement to achieve equal rights for American women.
[Britannica, Women in American History]
Czar Alexander's Address in the State Council,
liberating Russian serfs
(January 28, 1861)
[Libertystory.net]
Civil
War Amendments to the U.S. Constitution (1865, 1868, 1870)
Following the Civil War, these amendments were proposed and ratified
to abolish slavery, assure "equal protection of the laws" and
the right to vote.
[Libertystory.net]
Lord
Acton (1834-1902), "The History of Freedom in
Antiquity" lecture (February 26, 1877)
Acton displayed vast knowledge of intellectual and political history
as he explained the ancient origins of modern liberty.
[Acton Institute]
Lord
Acton (1834-1902), "The History of Freedom in
Christianity" lecture (May 28, 1877)
How Christianity contributed to and frustrated the development of
liberty.
[Acton Institute]
Law 3353 abolishing slavery in Brazil (May 13,
1888)
They did it without a bloody
civil war.
[Libertystory.net]
Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902), "Solitude of
Self" speech (February 20, 1892)
Crusader for equal rights eloquently expresses her individualism.
[University of California, Los Angeles, Department of History]
Lord Acton (1834-1902), Inaugural Lecture at
Cambridge University
(June 11, 1895)
Selection from Acton's lecture which he delivered to begin his tenure
as Regius Professor of Modern History. Many memorable ideas such as
this: "I exhort you never to debase the moral currency or to lower
the standard of rectitude, but to try others by the final maxim that
governs your own lives, and to suffer no man and no cause to escape the
undying penalty which history has the power to inflict on wrong."
Note that the linked source gives the lecture date as 1906 which is
actually when the lecture was first published.
[Modern History Sourcebook]
William Graham Sumner (1840-1910), "The Conquest of
the United States by Spain" speech (January 16, 1899)
During the Spanish-American War, Yale University sociology professor
delivered this as a talk at College Street Hall, New Haven,
Connecticut. The talk, which provoked a storm of protests, including
demands that Sumner be fired, was later published in the Yale Law
Journal. It's a classic attack on the idea that people can make
themselves better of through military adventures. For this and other
writings, Sumner ranks as the greatest opponent of American imperialism.
[Libertystory.net]
Mark Twain (1835-1910), The War Prayer (1905,
published 1916)
This famous satire, which protests the savagery of imperialism and
war, was considered so radical that it couldn't be published during Mark
Twain's life. It finally appeared amidst the horrors of World War I.
[Libertystory.net]
Oswald
Garrison Villard (1872-1949), Nation editorial against military
conscription (May 11, 1916)
Nation editor Villard, the grandson of abolitionist William
Lloyd Garrison, valiantly opposed President Woodrow Wilson's military
conscription in World War I.
[Libertystory.net]
Randolph
Bourne (1886-1918), "War and the Intellectuals" (June 1917)
Although Bourne had accepted the views of "progressive"
intellectuals who thought more government power would make life better, he
was shocked when the consequences of these views became apparent: world
war, with suppression of dissidents at home and barbaric violence against
adversaries abroad. This passionate protest was originally published
in a little magazine called Seven Arts, and it has been reprinted
many times.
[bigeye.com]
Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973), "Economic Calculation
in the Socialist Commonwealth" (1920)
Before Vladimir Lenin had even consolidated his power in the Soviet
Union, this great Austrian economist explained why communism would
impoverish millions.
[Libertystory.net]
Woman
suffrage amendment to the U.S. Constitution (August 26, 1920)
This brief amendment, saying "The right of citizens of the United
States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United Stats or by
any state on account of sex," took some 70 years to achieve.
[Libertystory.net]
Rose
Wilder Lane (1887-1968), Credo (March 7, 1936)
Originally an article for the Saturday Evening Post, this
pamphlet-length piece (which will take somewhat longer than the rest of
these documents to download) is a sensational defense of individualism
against collectivism. "Credo" was reprinted many times,
later as "Give Me Liberty."
[Libertystory.net]
Albert Jay
Nock (1870-1945), "Isaiah's Job " (1936)
Even in the worst of times, there might be a small number of people,
whom American journalist Nock called "the Remnant," who would
carry on for liberty and civilization.
[Libertystory.net]
Robert A. Taft (1889-1953), speech against
military conscription (September 6, 1940)
Here Taft, U.S. Senator from Ohio, spoke out against the
Burke-Wadsworth bill which would establish peacetime military conscription
for the first time in American history.
[Libertystory.net]
Raoul Wallenberg (1912-?), a schutzpass (1944)
This extraordinarily courageous Swede issued such passes by the
thousands in 1944, and they helped save Hungarian Jews from Hitler's death
camps.
[Libertystory.net]
Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973), "Liberty and
Property" lecture (October 1958)
Why economic liberty is essential for prosperity.
[Ludwig von Mises Institute]
Martin
Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968), "Letter from a Birmingham
Jail"
(April 16, 1963)
Dr. King explained his nonviolent protests against compulsory racial
segregation.
[Columbia University Libraries]
Martin Luther King,
Jr. (1929-1968), "I have a
dream" speech (August 28, 1963)
He expressed the vision that someday black people "will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."
[National Civil Rights Museum]
Ronald Reagan (1911-), "Address to the Members of
the British Parliament'
(June 8, 1982)
When almost all historians, economists
and other mainstream intellectuals believed the Soviet Union was a big
success, President Reagan identified critical weaknesses and boldly
predicted the collapse of the Soviet Union.
[Libertystory.net]
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