The Quest for Power: The Lower Houses of Assembly in the Souther Royal Colonies, 1689-1776

Author/Contributor(s):	Greene, Jack P
Publisher:	W. W. Norton & Company
Date:	01/01/1972
Binding:	Paperback
Condition:	NEW

The emergence of the lower houses of assembly is a major theme in American history: their quest for power became the most significant single feature of political and constitutional development in the colonial era. Miniature imitations of the House of Commons, these assemblies were not content to play a minor role in the affairs of their respective colonies and sought to increase their authority at the expense of both the colonial executives and the London government. They took the lead in defending American rights and liberties when they were challenged by Crown and Parliament and they served as a training ground for the remarkable political leaders of the nation's first quarter century.