Print ISBN: 978-1-63700-760-0
# of Pages: 600
# of Volumes: 2
Print List Price: $295.00
e-ISBN: 978-1-63700-761-7
eBook User Price: $295.00
Free Online Access
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Defining Documents in World History: Treason

March 2024


In the current politically charged era, the word “treason” frequently surfaces in vitriolic discourse. However, how many cases of actual treason have there been, who were the perpetrators, and what were their consequences?

The list of people convicted of treason against the U.S. is actually void of famous names such as Benedict Arnold and Julius and Ethel Rosenberg – who, while treacherous and treasonous in their own rights, were never legally convicted of that crime – but does contain names such as Aaron Burr, John Fries (leader of Fries' Rebellion), John Brown (perpetrator in the Harpers Ferry raid), and numerous individuals convicted of defecting to Nazi Germany during WWII. In fact, the last conviction for treason in the U.S. was in 1952.

This two-volume set offers in-depth analysis of eighty documents, including book chapters, congressional reports, correspondences, court decisions, court transcripts and testimonies, edicts, interviews, legal documents, legislation, letters, manifestos, newspaper articles, pamphlets, press releases, radio broadcasts, and speeches. These selections highlight legislation surrounding treason and noteworthy examples of treasonous acts and their consequences throughout history, both in the United States and around the world.

Chapters also look at tyrannical governments’ attempts to label their enemies as treasonous. Individuals and events covered include Canada’s Louis Riel; Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI of France; Adolph Hitler; the anti-Nazi White Rose Movement; the July 20, 1944 attempted assassination of Hitler; Great Britain’s Thomas Paine; Nelson Mandela and the 1956 Treason Trial in South Africa; among many others.

These volumes explore the history of treasonous acts along with related primary source documents, examnining charters, constitutions, legislative debates, political speeches, historical accounts, court cases, modern-day articles, and more.

The material is organized into five sections, each beginning with a brief introduction that examines the importance of the topic through a variety of historical documents:

  • Treason and Law
  • Treason in Wartime
  • Treason and Espionage
  • Treason and Ideology
  • Treason and Insurrection

Documents within these sections provide an overview of the history and contemporary issues surrounding treason around the world. Each Historical Document is supported by a critical essay, written by historians, teachers, and researchers, that includes a Summary Overview, Defining Moment, About the Author, Document Analysis, and Essential Themes. An important feature of each essay is a close reading of the primary source that develops broader themes, such as the author’s rhetorical purpose, social or class position, point of view, and other relevant issues. Each essay also includes a section entitled Bibliography and Additional Reading that provides suggestions for further readings and research.

About the Series

The Defining Documents series provides in-depth commentary and analysis on the most important primary source documents in the United States and the world. The Defining Documents series is perfect for students, those researching a particular era, or anyone interested in world history. Visit www.salempress.com for more information about additional titles in this series.

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