In the Name of Freedom: the Declaration of Arbroath, 1320 2020 Rhetoric and History: Scottish Historical Review: Volume 101, Issue 3

The Declaration of Arbroath was a document written in 1320 that drew heavily on political ideologies and legal concepts with which English and continental intellectuals were familiar. Its rediscovery from the later seventeenth century is traced in unprecedented depth, and its relevance was not just to Scotland, but also to the American Declaration of Independence. It remains a controversial document, inspirational to many, misappropriated by others, and even feared by some.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 160 pages
Publication date: 31 December 2022
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

In 1977, Grant Simpson, a renowned historian, published a groundbreaking article in the Scottish Historical Review, posing a thought-provoking question: Can anything truly new be said about a document as well-known in Scotland as the Declaration of Arbroath?

The contributors to this volume answer that question with a resounding affirmative. They demonstrate that there is indeed more to explore and understand about this significant historical document. The text of the Declaration, written in 1320, closely followed an Irish prototype and adopted the structure expected at the papal court, where it was sent. It drew heavily on political ideologies and legal concepts familiar to English and continental intellectuals. The Declaration's journey to papal attention was facilitated through diplomatic means and practices widely understood across Europe. While it faded from political discourse in the centuries following its dispatch, its rediscovery in the later seventeenth century is explored in unprecedented depth. Its relevance extends beyond Scotland, with a close examination of whether it influenced the American Declaration of Independence.

The Declaration continues to be a controversial and multifaceted document. It inspires many, is misappropriated by others, and even evokes fear among some. By delving into its historical context with greater focus, employing new textual analysis techniques, and conducting an exhaustive investigation of its afterlife in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries, this volume offers fresh perspectives and insights into the Declaration of Arbroath.

Weight: 318g
Dimension: 221 x 234 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399512619