Difference between revisions of "Blackstone's Commentaries"

Revision as of 13:03, 23 March 2013

Tucker, St. George. Blackstone's Commentaries: with Notes of Reference to the Constitution and Laws, of the Federal Government of the United States and of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Philadelphia: William Young Birch, and Abraham Small; Robert Carr, Printer, 1803.

Description of Collection Copy

Five Volumes, with errata leaf in volume 1 and volume 3, and four plates, collated as issued. Bound in contemporary calf, rebacked in matching period style, retaining original red and black morocco gilt-lettered spine labels, gilt ruling on spine. Light blindstamp on front free endpapers. Text with light to moderate foxing, light wear, contemporary marginalia. Fore-edges with some ink marks. The front free endpaper of the first volume has the signature of the well-known North Carolina author, lawyer, and historian 'F.A. Sondley, Asheville, N.C., Sept. 28, 1887.' The upper margin of the first volume's title page states, 'Commenced the study of Law, the night of the 22nd March 1848.'

Synopsis and History of Title

When he was Professor of Law and Police at the College of William & Mary, St. George Tucker used William Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England as his primary text.^[1] While Tucker considered Blackstone the best treatise to use for learning the common law, he thought it had some important weaknesses as a teaching tool for American law.^[1] None of the editions of Blackstone published in the United States actually discussed new legal developments there; they just reprinted Blackstone's discussions of English law.^[2] Tucker also felt that Blackstone's sympathy with the power of the Crown over that of Parliament would be a poor influence for a student of American legal principles.^[3] Therefore, Tucker wrote marginalia in his copy of Blackstone and read them to his classes, and added lectures on Virginian and United States federal law and comparing the American political system with its British counterpart.^[4]

In 1795, at the urging of several friends, including former Virginia governor John Page, Tucker began investigating the possibility of publishing his written works, including an edition of Blackstone with his notes and with his lectures from William & Mary added as appendixes.^[5] After a couple of unsuccessful attempts to find a printer, Tucker reached an agreement with the Philadelphia firm of Birch and Small, which paid Tucker $4000 for the book's copyright.^[6] "Tucker's Blackstone" was organized into five volumes.^[7] Each volume would begin with Blackstone's original text, with notes from Tucker added, followed by an appendix containing Tucker's lectures and writings on particular subjects.^[7] Blackstone's text was mostly arranged the same way as in the original version, but Tucker organized the appendixes to show what he felt the most important developments in American law were.^[7]

Tucker's Blackstone sold well from the beginning,^[8] and it quickly became the major treatise on American law in the early 19th century.^[9] Law reporter Daniel Call described it as "necessary to every student and practitioner of law in Virginia".^[10] Lawyers arguing before the Supreme Court of the United States would frequently cite to Tucker's Blackstone - more often than any other commentator until 1827.^[11] The U.S. Supreme Court itself cited Tucker's Blackstone frequently, referring to it in over forty cases, many of them significant.^[12] Modern lawyers, legal scholars, and judges still refer to this work as an important tool for determining how Americans understood both English and American law in the early days after the United States's independence.^[13]

References

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Finkelman, Paul and David Cobin. An Introduction to St. George Tucker's Blackstone's Commentaries. In Tucker, St. George (1803). Blackstone's Commentaries. Philadelphia: William Young Birch and Abraham Small (Reprint 1996 Union, N.J.: Lawbook Exchange), Vol. 1, p.x Template:Cite book Available on Hein Online.
2. ↑ Finkelman, Paul and David Cobin. An Introduction to St. George Tucker's Blackstone's Commentaries. In Tucker, St. George (1803). Blackstone's Commentaries. Philadelphia: William Young Birch and Abraham Small (Reprint 1996 Union, N.J.: Lawbook Exchange), Vol. 1, p.i Template:Cite book Available on Hein Online.
3. ↑ Template:Cite journal
4. ↑ Template:Cite book
5. ↑ Template:Cite book
6. ↑ Template:Cite book
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} Template:Cite book
8. ↑ Template:Cite book
9. ↑ Template:Cite journal
10. ↑ 8 Va. (4 Call) xxviii (1833)
11. ↑ Template:Cite book
12. ↑ Finkelman, Paul and David Cobin. An Introduction to St. George Tucker's Blackstone's Commentaries. In Tucker, St. George (1803). Blackstone's Commentaries. Philadelphia: William Young Birch and Abraham Small (Reprint 1996 Union, N.J.: Lawbook Exchange), Vol. 1, pp.v-vi Template:Cite book Available on Hein Online.
13. ↑ Finkelman, Paul and David Cobin. An Introduction to St. George Tucker's Blackstone's Commentaries. In Tucker, St. George (1803). Blackstone's Commentaries. Philadelphia: William Young Birch and Abraham Small (Reprint 1996 Union, N.J.: Lawbook Exchange), Vol. 1, pp.i-ii,v-vi Template:Cite book Available on Hein Online.