Creating "THE PEOPLE": Whig Legal Concepts plus Lessons from Ireland and Spanish America

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: 250 Years of the Declaration of Independence · Oct 30, 2025 · 1h 5m

with Andrew Sola, Prof. Richard Ross (U. of Illinois) and Prof. Steven Wilf (U. of Connecticut)

"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for ONE PEOPLE to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another…"

"Whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of THE PEOPLE to alter or to abolish it…"

In this episode, we explore the creation of the legal concept of THE PEOPLE with the right to overthrow their government.

Topics include :

-the tension in the British Empire between Whigs, who valued popular parliamentary power…