Product Description

A leter from Arbroath to the pope, dated on April 6, 1320, originated, not in a crowded parliament or convention, but rather in the comparative obscurity of the royal chancery located somewhere in the abbey. Written in the high-flown style which papal correspondence demanded, the Declaration of Arbroath, as it is known, 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. The letter is real enough. It survives and can be read and has now been translated several times from its original Latin into English, and into metrical Gaelic and Scots; it belongs to the world as well as Arbroath. But there was no gathering at Arbroath in 1320, no great ceremony at which the glitterati of Scotland stepped forward with trembling hands to sign a document which they somehow were aware would be known in future years as a type of early Scottish constitution, and as the supreme articulation of Scottish identity and the immortal values for which all Scots were allegedly willing to lay down their lives. The National Trust for Scotland, self-appointed keeper of the nation's soul, in depicting 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 mediaeval Europe.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1198078 in Books
• Published on: 2002-12-16
• Original language: Latin
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 162 pages

About the Author
Edward J Cowan is Professor of Scottish History at the University of Glasgow

Customer Reviews

Tartan Day & American Declaration of Independence
This is essential reading for anyone interested in the roots of Tartan Day in the USA. Edward Cowan very cleverly examines the links between the 1320 Declaration of Arbroath "one of the most remarkable documents..produced in Medieval Europe" and the American Declaration of Independence.

'For Freedom Alone' leads you, in a very enjoyable fashion, through the links and myths surrounding the two Declarations, and the decision by the US Senate to have an annual day "to celebrate the Scottish influence upon the United States."

Essentially, this is a great read for anyone with a keen interest in Tartan Day, the Declaration of Independence, or Scotland.

Why the Founding Fathers in 1776 looked to Scotland in 1320 !

A brilliant and thoroughly enjoyable read, and a romp through the turbulent times faced by two nations (14th Century Scotland and 18th Century America) fighting for a democracy against a tyrant monarch. Thought provoking and a wonderful lesson in the power of history and of the will of the people. For years, amateur historians and occasional readers of history have noted the similarities in both the text and the spirit of both Declarations, and wondered if the resounding words of sovereignty, freedom from oppression and citizenship written in early 14th Century Scotland could possibly have influenced the American Declaration of Independence. Unique in Europe at that time, Scotland asserted the right to elect its King and to dethrone its own monarch if the King did not reflect the will of the people and ensure the nation's independence. By this astonishing declaration of national identity and power, the Scots ensured that sovereignty resided in the will of the people as citizens under Scots law, and not as subjects of the monarch under English law.
In "Freedom Alone," Scotland's foremost historian ably demonstrates that the inspiration and text for the Declaration of Independence was indeed drawn from the wars of independence fought by Scotland over 400 years earlier. While it is no surprise to read that so many key figures of the American revolution were of Scots birth or first generation descent, Professor Cowan provides additional insight and proof of their reliance on the Declaration of Arbroath. He presents readers with a fascinating analysis of the relevant documents and the collective motivations that inspired them. By weaving through the relationships of the key authors of the Declaration of Independence, Cowan demonstrates the extent to which the Founding Fathers were informed and influenced by the Declaration of Arbroath. A well respected and revered Head of Scottish History at the University of Glasgow, Professor Cowan has shed new and important light on two documents that have stood the test of time.