Winner of the 2010 Book Award from the New England Historical Association American constitutionalism represents this country's greatest gift to human freedom, yet its story remains largely untold. For over two hundred years, its ideals, ideas, and institutions influenced different peoples in different lands at different times. American constitutionalism and the revolutionary republican documents on which it is based affected countless countries by helping them develop their own constitutional democracies. Western constitutionalism-of which America was a part along with Britain and France-reached a major turning point in global history in 1989, when the forces of democracy exceeded the forces of autocracy for the first time. Historian George Athan Billias traces the spread of American constitutionalism-from Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean region, to Asia and Africa-beginning chronologically with the American Revolution and the fateful "shot heard round the world" and ending with the conclusion of the Cold War in 1989. The American model contributed significantly by spearheading the drive to greater democracy throughout the Western world, and Billias's landmark study tells a story that will change the way readers view the important role American constitutionalism played during this era.

Winner of the 2010 Book Award from the New England Historical Association

American constitutionalism represents this country's greatest gift to human freedom, yet its story remains largely untold. For over two hundred years, its ideals, ideas, and institutions influenced different peoples in different lands at different times. American constitutionalism and the revolutionary republican documents on which it is based affected countless countries by helping them develop their own constitutional democracies. Western constitutionalism--of which America was a part along with Britain and France--reached a major turning point in global history in 1989, when the forces of democracy exceeded the forces of autocracy for the first time.

Historian George Athan Billias traces the spread of American constitutionalism--from Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean region, to Asia and Africa--beginning chronologically with the American Revolution and the fateful "shot heard round the world" and ending with the conclusion of the Cold War in 1989. The American model contributed significantly by spearheading the drive to greater democracy throughout the Western world, and Billias's landmark study tells a story that will change the way readers view the important role American constitutionalism played during this era.

American constitutionalism remains this country's greatest contribution to human freedom. The ideas and ideals expressed in the U.S. Constitution and related documents, and the institutions developed in them have influenced different people in different lands over the past two hundred years. In American Constitutionalism Abroad, six distinguished historians, political scientists, and international law experts, discuss American constitutionalism in various regions of the world at different times, and within different contexts. In terms of time and space, the influence of American constitutionalism is demonstrated in Europe between 1776 and 1848; Latin America during the nineteenth century; Asia in the twentieth century; and Germany in 1949 and France in 1958. One essay shows how the legacy of American constitutionalism was expressed in parallel movements in the nineteenth century to create a peaceful, liberal world order based on a proposed international legal code. By tracing the influence of the documents, procedures, and institutions that came into being within the United States during the founding period from 1776 to 1791, and by analyzing how they were received and perceived by constitutionmakers in other countries, it is possible to follow the spread of American constitutionalism through various parts of the world over time. By focusing on the influence of American constitutionalism abroad, this book breaks exciting new ground in the study of the Constitution. This work will appeal not only to American and legal historians, but to political scientists as well.