The Declaration of Arbroath 1320

Image kindly provided by the National Archives of Scotland Most Scots are familiar with the famous passage from the Declaration of Arbroath (1320): “For so long as but a hundred of us remain alive, we shall never surrender. It is not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom alone, which no honest person will lose but with life itself.” Even more significant, however, is the passage which this one follows. Therein it is stated that if Robert Bruce should ever submit to the King of England or the English (admittedly, a highly unlikely possibility), his subjects would remove him and set up another better able to govern in his place. This is the first articulation in European History of the contractual theory of monarchy which states that the king is elected by his subjects and if he steps out of line can be deposed by them – a notion that lies at the root of all modern ideas of constitutionalism. Professor Edward J Cowan

Ted Cowan taught at the Universities of Edinburgh, Guelph (Ontario) and Glasgow before taking up his present position as Director of the University of Glasgow’s Crichton Campus. Professor of Scottish History at Glasgow, he is much in demand as a speaker, journalist and broadcaster. He has published widely on various aspects of Scottish History and has been a Visiting Professor in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States.

<<Return to Documents that Shaped the Nation Index