Essays
Class for Classical Liberals
Charles Murray’s new book raises intriguing questions—but is far less objectionable than one might think.
Monopolies, Mercantilism, Illegal Buttons, and Saltpeter Men
A glance at some economic regulations from the past.
Fingering the King on the Road to Independence
The Coercive Acts led Americans to blame the king for the conspiracy to strip them of their rights and liberties.
The Coercive Acts and Their Theoretical Significance
The British response to the Boston Tea Party and the revolution-sparking Coercive Acts.
The Boston Tea Party
The British response to the Boston Tea Party stiffened American resolve for revolution. In this essay, George Smith tells the story of that event, one of the most famous in American history.
Committees of Correspondence and the Road to American Independence
The story of the American Revolution’s prelude continues with the emergence of Committees of Correspondence among the colonists.
The Boston Massacre
Smith continues his look at the events leading up to the American Revolution by telling the complex story of Americans at the time rather dramatically called the Boston Massacre.
A Misunderstanding, the Townshend Act, and More Trouble in the American Colonies
In this essay, Smith uses some of the crucial events that led to the American Revolution as background to explain the theory of resistance and revolution that emerged and were expressed in the Declaration of Independence.
The Sons of Liberty and Resistance to the Stamp Act, Part Two
Smith turns his attention to events after the Boston riots. As violence spread throughout the colonies, America moved ever closer to revolution.
Bad Philosophy and the Technocratic Nightmare
Sam Harris’s book represents not just poor philosophical thinking but also a dangerous mode of thinking echoing early Progressivism. Libertarians should be deeply concerned by Harris’s take on morality.
“Liberty and Property!” The Sons of Liberty and Resistance to the Stamp Act Part 1
Smith recounts the violent reaction to the Stamp Act, a tax on paper goods levied against the American colonies in 1765.
Americans with Attitudes: Smuggling in Colonial America
Smith explores America’s proud history of smuggling in the colonies—and the disastrous attempts by the British to put an end to it.