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Secondary sourceBook1758

The Spirit of Laws

Thomas Nugent (translator); Montesquieu (original author) · 1758

Thomas Nugent's 1758 English translation of Montesquieu's major work on law and government, the edition read by American and British readers.

This English translation carried Montesquieu's own ideas on government to readers who shaped new constitutions.

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What it is

This is the third corrected edition of Thomas Nugent's English translation of The Spirit of Laws, originally written in French by Montesquieu. It was printed in London in 1758.

Why it matters

Montesquieu's study of different kinds of government and the laws suited to each became one of the most influential political works of the Enlightenment. Nugent's translation spread these ideas to English-speaking readers, including the American founders who drew on Montesquieu's theory of separated powers when designing new governments.

Look closer

  • Why might a translation matter as much as the original for how ideas spread?
  • What does the detailed table of contents suggest about how the book organizes its argument?
  • Who would have had access to an expensive printed book like this in the 1750s?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Baron de Montesquieu on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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