Declaration of Arbroath

A 1320 letter to Pope John XXII asserting Scotland’s independence and defending its right to choose its king. Its barons grounded the case in Scotland’s history and Robert I’s leadership.

Wars of Scottish Independence: A series of late thirteenth- and early fourteenth-century conflicts over Scotland’s independence from English rule. The letter was written during this struggle to present Scotland’s case abroad.
Community of the Realm: A medieval political idea that the kingdom’s community could act collectively through its leading members. The barons presented themselves as speaking for Scotland’s political community.
Scottish nationalism: A political movement supporting Scotland’s national identity and, in many forms, self-government or independence. Later advocates have treated the declaration as a landmark expression of Scottish nationhood.
Arbroath 700: The 2020 program marking seven hundred years since the Declaration of Arbroath. Its commemorations brought the document into contemporary public discussion.
Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton: A 1328 agreement in which England recognized Scotland as an independent kingdom under Robert I. It achieved the diplomatic recognition that the 1320 letter had sought.
Robert the Bruce: King of Scots from 1306 to 1329 and a leader of Scotland’s war for independence. The letter defended his kingship while making it conditional on his protection of Scotland’s liberty.
Popular sovereignty: The principle that political authority ultimately rests with the people or their political community. The letter’s claim that the community could reject an unfit king is often read through this principle.
National Records of Scotland: Scotland’s national archive, which holds records documenting the country’s history and government. It preserves the surviving manuscript of the declaration.
Pope John XXII: The pope who led the Catholic Church from 1316 to 1334. The Scottish barons addressed their appeal directly to him.
Papal bull: A formal decree issued by a pope and authenticated with a lead seal. The declaration was a diplomatic letter to the pope, not a papal bull.

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