{"product_id":"the-key-of-liberty-9780674502888","title":"The Key of Liberty","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Key of Liberty offers, better than any book yet published, a grassroots view of the rise of democratic opposition in the new nation. It sheds considerable light on the popular cultureliterary, religious, and profaneof the epoch.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis publication of William Manning’s writings—with their populist formulations of the powerful few and the laboring many, as well as their libertarian defenses of individual liberties—is a powerful blow for democracy and freedom. The meticulous scholarship of Michael Merrill and Sean Wilentz has unearthed a jewel in early American thought that still poses a challenge for us in these days of democratic decay. -- Cornel West, Princeton University\u003cbr\u003eThe writings of William Manning constitute a major contribution to our understanding of the rise of American democracy, making clear the popular origins of democratic reforms, and the quality of thinking that emerged outside the political elite of the Revolutionary era. Michael Merrill and Sean Wilentz deserve our thanks for rescuing Manning from obscurity, and for brilliantly placing his work in the social and political context of his time. -- Eric Foner, Columbia University\u003cbr\u003eThere is much in \u003ci\u003eThe Key of Liberty\u003c\/i\u003e to satisfy students and historians alike, not the least of which is a more sophisticated and compelling version of Merrill’s argument about the moral basis of markets… \u003ci\u003eThe Key of Liberty\u003c\/i\u003e is a fine accomplishment and makes a significant contribution to both historians and their students. * Journal of American History *\u003cbr\u003eObsessed with the struggle between the few and the many, Manning, a common ‘laborer’ whose writings were collected posthumously, gives a summary of the fiscal and political conditions in Massachusetts and the colonies during the first three presidents’ terms. Manning examined the monetary system in detail along with the interrelationships of interest groups in the young country. Fascinating is the introduction by Merrill (Labor Education Center, Rutgers) and Wilentz (history, Princeton), in which they include an analysis of the religious roots of Manning’s beliefs and arguments. One of Manning’s most penetrating and revealing theories is that popular deference commonly occurs during times of economic prosperity, that in turn breeds a complacency that Manning deplored. The work has generous footnotes and the introduction cogently presents the salient points so the reader can look to the text for Manning’s actual expressions. -- Clay Williams * Library Journal *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Key of Liberty\u003c\/i\u003e provides modern-day readers with fresh insight into the thoughts of the 18th-century citizen-soldier and his analysis of the contemporary political scene. * Choice *","brand":"Harvard University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49403594703191,"sku":"9780674502888","price":27.86,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780674502888.jpg?v=1730483927","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/the-key-of-liberty-9780674502888","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}