Commentaries on the Laws of England: Book 1 The Rights of Persons

While America's Founding Fathers looked to various sources for political philosophy, the one they turned to predominantly in the field of law was Sir William Blackstone, a barrister and patron of King George III who set out on writing a comprehensive tome of English Common Law. In addition to being a popular work, the massive 4 book Commentaries on the Laws of England brought together all of England's legal precedents, allowing others (like the Americans) to rely on it while forming their own judicial codes. Even today, the U.S. Supreme Court frequently cites Blackstone when interpreting the Constitution.

Book 1 of Blackstone’s Commentaries looks at the rights of people, covering all kinds of relationships, including between married couples, parents and children, guardianship, and even corporations.