American Constitutionalism Heard Round the World, 1776-1989 : A Global Perspective

American constitutionalism represents America'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. Historian George Athan Billias traces the spread of American constitutionalismofrom Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean region, to Asia and Africaobeginning 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. George Athan Billias is Jacob and Frances Hiatt Professor Emeritus of History at Clark University. His numerous books include American Constitutionalism Abroad: Selected Essays in Comparative Constitutional History and George Washington's Generals and Opponents.