"Neither can I see that men could have been brought by any other means, to live together in fellowship of life, to maintain cities, to deal truly, and willingly obey one another, if men at the first had not by art and eloquence, persuaded that which they full oft found out by reason."
—Sir Thomas Wilson, 1553
Eloquence and Reason: Creating a First Amendment Culture
(Yale University Press, 2008)
This compelling book presents a theory of the First Amendment’s development. During the twentieth century, Americans gained trust in its commitments, turned the First Amendment into an instrument for social progress, and exercised their rhetorical freedom to create a common language of rights.
Robert L. Tsai explains that the guarantees of the First Amendment have become part of a governing culture and a nationwide priority. Examining the rhetorical tactics of activists, presidents, and lawyers, Tsai illustrates how committed citizens promote or destabilize a community's reigning political beliefs. Eloquence and Reason reveals the social and institutional processes through which foundational ideas are generated and transformed.
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