Common sense; addressed to the inhabitants of America, on the following interesting subjects. I. Of the origin and design of government in general, with concise remarks on the English constitution. II. Of monarchy and hereditary succession. III. Thoughts on the present state of American affairs. IV. Of the present ability of America, with some miscellaneous reflections.

After nearly 60 years of collecting, Sid Lapidus ’59 has presented to the Library more than 2700 volumes representing the fruits of his enthusiasm. Broadly conceived, the collection charts the definition and re-definiton of rights and liberties endemic to Western political traditions. The main focus is texts and documents relating to the American Revolution, its run-up dating back to the Commonwealth men, and coming down to documents of the early Federal government.

Selected materials that feature works from Princeton University Library, drawn from the Early American, Graphic Arts, and Numismatics Collections, and the Scheide Library. The selection also draws heavily from the Andre De Coppet ’15 Collection and the Sid Lapidus ’59 Collection. The commonplace book of Annis Boudinot Stockton is on deposit courtesy of the Stockton family.