Commentaries on American Law

work by Kent

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June 24, 2026

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Commentaries on American Law is a seminal four-volume work by jurist James Kent, published between 1826 and 1830. This treatise was instrumental in shaping the nascent common law of the United States. Kent's Commentaries covered a broad range of legal topics, including international law, the U.S. Constitution, state laws, personal rights, and property law. Unlike its English counterpart, Sir William Blackstone's Commentaries, Kent's work was organized differently and drew heavily on English common law, but also incorporated principles from civil law when precedents were insufficient. Kent's scholarship significantly influenced legal thought not only in the U.S. but also in England and other common-law nations.1

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James Kent
…he revised and elaborated as Commentaries on American Law, 4 vol. (1826–30). This work deals with international law; the U.S. Constitution and the federal system; the law of various U.S. states; personal rights; and the law of property, both real and personal. In content and in organization it bears little…
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…he revised and elaborated as Commentaries on American Law, 4 vol. (1826–30). This work deals with international law; the U.S. Constitution and the federal system; the law of various U.S. states; personal rights; and the law of property, both real and personal. In content and in organization it bears little…
Read More