Colony, or Free State? "Dependence, or Just Connection"? "Empire, or Union"? - Hardcover

Alpheus Henry Snow

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0267527934 ISBN 13: 9780267527939

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2019

Synopsis

Rethinking America’s reach: how the Founders’ ideas still shape today’s debates on colonies, states, and union.

This nonfiction work revisits the political philosophy behind the American Revolution to explore how the United States should relate to its insular and annexed regions. It weighs competing views on terminology—colony, dependence, empire, and union—and offers a broader, law‑based framework for understanding the relationship between a nation and its territories.

Written as a scholarly address, it contrasts traditional constitutional scope with a universal view grounded in the law of nature and nations. The author argues for a just, durable model of union that respects free statehood and seeks common welfare without coercive power.

• Examines how historical ideas about union and sovereignty apply to modern territories.
• Discusses the limits of constitutional power when applied beyond the original states.
• Offers a proposed middle path between imperial control and unchecked independence.
• Draws on the Declaration of Independence and early American political thought to frame current debates.

Ideal for readers of political philosophy, constitutional history, and readers curious about how nations define rights, duties, and citizenship across distant regions.

An essay by Alpheus H. Snow, presenting a broader view of the American system and its future in governing relations with distant communities.

Edition details

• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication date: 2019
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0267527934
• ISBN 13: 9780267527939
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 78