Politics

Account of an Audience with Hillsborough by Benjamin Franklin
Account of an Audience with Hillsborough by Benjamin Franklin.

A Political Treatise
Spinoza demonstrates in his Treaties how the society in which monarchical dominion finds place, as also that in which the dominion is aristocratic, should be ordered, so as not to lapse into a tyranny, but to preserve inviolate the peace and freedom of the citizens. Read it in its entirety here. (This text was prepared by Jon Roland of the Constitution Society.)

Important Treaties of the 18th Century
During the 18th century, there was a significant amount of warfare in the world. These wars included from the war of the Spanish Succession to the French Revolution. After each of these wars, there were treaties that ended them.

Laws Of William The Conqueror
Here is set down what William, king of the English, established in consultation with his magnates after the conquest of England.

The Election of 1796
The Presidential Election of 1796 was the first contested presidential election in American history, learn about this election from these interesting sources on political history.

Freedom and Liberty Defined
Today, the majority of Americans, and other citizens of democratic countries, take these principles of democracy for granted. In fact, these principles have been expanded and applied in every aspect of life. However, what did these principles mean to the people of the 18th century? How did they define them?

The Political Realists of Continental Europe
Enlightened Philosophers, such as Voltaire and Diderot, and the Physiocrats, who were ministers to the French court, did not wish to limit the powers of the Monarchies. They attempted to persuade European Rulers to redirect power towards the rationalization of economic and political structures and the liberation of intellectual life.

Pragmatic Sanction Leads to War
Charles VI, the father of Maria Theresa, was the last of the direct male line of the Austrian Hapsburgs, who ruled the Austrian Empire. This caused a problem because according to Hapsburg law only males could inherit the Hapsburg land. He attempted to solve this situation by the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713.

Reformers of the Justice System
The philosophers and writers of the Enlightenment contributed to the reformation of the judicial system by advocating the banning of torture and making punishments to fit the crime. Two influential writers were Cesare Beccaria and John Howard.

The Albany Congress
Like William Penn's Plan of Union of 1697, Benjamin Franklin's Albany Plan of 1754 was an attempt to solve problems faced by the Colonist and came about as a result of war over Empire. This war, an extension of the War of the Austrian Succession, is known as King George's War in the Colonies.

The Chesapeake Affair And The Embargo
The terrible and long-continued conflict in Europe between England and her allies on the one hand and Napoleon on the other could not fail to be felt in America, and as the combat grew more desperate and the powers of the combatants more strained, measures were taken whose effects were severely felt by all the civilized world. Source: The Great Republic By The Master Historians copyright 1902.

William Penn's Plan of Union 1697
Take a look at one of the earliest known plans for union among the Colonies as proposed by William Penn.

The XYZ Affair
Britain and France were again at war in 1792. This time the British were attempting to stop the French Revolution from spreading and restore the French monarchy. In this attempt, Britain had blockaded Continental Europe from trade.