Commentaries on American Law, Volume 1, by James Kent

LibriVox ^ | 2026-06-28

[ProgressingAmerica]

The author's aim was to instruct students of American jurisprudence in the fundamentals of that system. Admirably adapted to the needs of such, his treatise addressed itself to those most ardent of students, practitioners themselves. Hence it soon attained, and since has held, the distinction of the best general treatise on American law. Herein are presented, as parts of an organic whole, the international relations of our government, its constitutional organization, and the legal results flowing from the exercise of its executive, legislative, and judicial functions. Without deviation from its systematic course, the discussion passes from the Union to the States united, and finally dwells upon the myriad relations of private life, personal and proprietary. To this source, consequently, students resort for the beginnings, and lawyers and judges for the application, and, in some measure, for the consummation, of professional knowledge. As a text book, it is simple and instructive; as an authority, it is distinguished among the highest. (Summary by Editor's Preface)

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TOPICS: Books/Literature; Education; Reference
KEYWORDS: audiobook; freeperbookclub; librivox

[ProgressingAmerica]

I had never heard of this work before seeing it at LV, but it seems to have some importance.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commentaries_on_American_Law

I'm curious what others think about the book. (or audio book)

[Carry_Okie]

Hence it soon attained, and since has held, the distinction of the best general treatise on American law.

More than Cooley? Really???

[ProgressingAmerica]

I did not write the intro.

But, did you mean Thomas M. Cooley?

[KingLudd]

There is a statue of Kent in the Main Reading Room of the Library of Congress. He and the ancient law giver Solon represent Law. The other Americans are Robert Fulton (commerce) and Joseph Henry (science).

[Carry_Okie]

But, did you mean Thomas M. Cooley?

Yep, Cooley's Treatise on Constitutional Limitations. I have a copy. Until the last time I looked, nobody had scanned it, but I'd love to have it in searchable pdf. There's little point in a paper book with a reference like that.

[Brian Griffin]

850 pages:

https://dn760101.eu.archive.org/0/items/ATreatiseOnTheConstitutionalLimitations1890/A%20treatise%20on%20the%20constitutional%20limitations%20which%20rest%20upon%20the%20legislative%20power%201871%201.pdf

[Carry_Okie]

500 Internal Server Error

[Brian Griffin]

That’s an 1871 edition.

[Brian Griffin]

https://www.bing.com/search?q=Constitutional%20Limitations%20Cooley

I didn’t download the 1903 edition yet.

[Brian Griffin]

A treatise on the Constitutional Limitations which rest upon the Legislative Power of the States of the American Union
by Cooley, Thomas MacIntyre, 1824-1898

Publication date 1903

https://archive.org/details/atreatiseoncons00lanegoog

[Brian Griffin]

The 1903 edition is 1169 pages:

https://dn760101.eu.archive.org/0/items/atreatiseoncons00lanegoog/atreatiseoncons00lanegoog.pdf

[Brian Griffin]

I didn’t download the text only version.

The text version should allow for easy quoting.

[ProgressingAmerica]

https://archive.org/details/cu31924019912751

6th ed from 1890

[Carry_Okie]

An OCR pdf of the original printing is my preference. OCR isn’t perfect. Hence, one must search using multiple successive keywords and then scan the surrounding text each time. Neither is spelling “perfect.” I’ve even had instances with foreign influences on or historical changes in spelling of key, usually technical terms. Yet those particular searches yielded research gold.

[Carry_Okie]

Thanks. Cooley is a treasure of both clarity and references.