Liberty Divided: When Two Visions of the British Empire Became Irreconcilable

Dr. Beienberg illuminates how the American Revolution fundamentally began as a constitutional dispute between competing interpretations of British liberty, with each side drawing legitimately different conclusions from the Glorious Revolution of 1688. This sophisticated civil war of ideas centered not on the amount of taxation but on the profound question of where governing authority should properly reside in the British Empire.• British authorities viewed Parliament as supreme within the Empire, understanding the Glorious Revolution as establishing Parliament's authority over the monarchy• Americans understood the Glorious Revolution as establishing decentralized power, reinforced by generations of "salutary neglect" • Colonial documents like the Virginia Resolves and First Continental Congress Declaration claimed "exclusive" authority over internal affairs and taxation• Early state constitutions consistently affirmed local "police powers" - the authority to govern for health, welfare, safety, and morals• Edmund Burke and other British figures sympathized with the American constitutional position• The conflict wasn't simply good versus evil - colonists were divided roughly into thirds supporting revolution, remaining loyal to Britain, or staying neutral• The Revolution represents a tragedy of two sets of "good guys" with irreconcilable visions of proper constitutional order Check Out the Civic Literacy Curriculum!School of Civic and Economic Thought and LeadershipCenter for American Civics