Synopses & Reviews
The Declaration of Arbroath has, over a period of almost 700 years, acquired a near-mythic status as it has come to be regarded as inextricably linked to Scottish identity and nationalism. But there was no gathering at Arbroath in 1320, no great ceremony at which the glitterati of Scotland stepped forward to sign a document which they somehow were aware would be known in future years as a type of early Scottish constitution. The National Trust for Scotland, self-appointed keeper of the nation's soul, in depicting the Scottish nobility armed to the teeth and attacking the document with a quill pen, in its Bannockburn exhibit, is guilty of historical amnesia, bogus distortion and heritage creationism. The author argues that Scotland was on the cutting edge of political thinking; that this was one of the most remarkable documents to be produced in medieval Europe.
Synopsis
The Declaration of Arbroath, April 6, 1320, is one of the most remarkable documents to have been produced anywhere in medieval Europe. Quoted by many, understood by few, its historical significance has now almost been overtaken by its mythic status. Since 1998, the US Senate has claimed that the American Declaration of Independence is modeled upon 'the inspirational document' of Arbroath. To date, such claims have not been the subject of scholarly investigation; this is the first book-length study to examine the origins of the Declaration and the ideas upon which it drew, while tracing the rise of its mystic status in Scotland and exploring its possible impact upon Revolutionary America.
About the Author
Edward J. Cowan is a professor of Scottish History at the University of Glasgow and has written widely on the history of Viking Scotland, early modern Scottish political thought, Scottish popular culture and Scottish emigration history. He lives in Glasgow.