Distant Heritage

Larry Eldridge is Assistant Professor of History at the College of Arts and Sciences at Widener University and author of the acclaimed A Distant Heritage: The Growth of Free Speech in Early America, also from NYU Press.

"Anyone who has not read A Distant Heritage cannot know the history of freedom of speech. This splendid book, based on excellent research, fills a void on the subject of seditious utterance and is a valuable corrective, as well as a substantial addition to, all previous works touching that subject." - Leonard W. Levy "Larry Eldridge has crafted a major reinterpretation of the expansion of political speech in the American colonies. What is especially impressive is Eldridges ability to find support for his thesis in both the growing stability of colonial society and the powerful upheavals that convulsed it. This is an original, provocative, and penetrating contribution to the literature on freedom of speech, in the colonial or any other era." - Kermit L. Hall,Dean, Henry Kendall College of Arts & Sciences and Professor of History and Law, The University of Tulsa "Larry Eldriges superb scholarship greatly expands our knowledge of how free speech took root in the American colonies. This exceptional book offers both engaging reading and new insights into the development of a fundamental right." - Jeffery A. Smith,University of Iowa, author of Printers and Press Freedom "The book constitutes a good contribution to our professional knowledge, and it is a must reading." (Law and Politics Book Review