This book is about American frontier liberty and the customary law that makes it possible to live without any government intrusions into the lives of the people. "American Frontier Liberty" is about self-governing at its most basic and pure form. The author spent the first twenty years of his life on a homestead cattle ranch in a frontier community that was isolated from the rest of the world. In this community, the people governed themselves by a little-known law officially known as consuetudinary law, or customary law. This law is based on people living by customs and traditions rather than written enforceable laws. There are no government intrusions, government enforcement officials, mayor, policeman, judge, or lawyer. Customary law develops naturally as people live by customs and traditions. They live the traditions because they choose to.
Think of a community where there are no written rules or regulations and no permits of any kind; where people abide by the traditions because they help keep peace in the community. They live by traditions because it is the right thing to do. It isn't easy to live this way, it requires taking responsibility for one's actions, wants, and needs. It requires people to work together to solve their problems and settle their disputes. In principle, customary law requires people to be honest, be good neighbors, do their own share of the work, and for the adults to teach the traditions to the children. These four principles are the foundation of any customary law. This is the kind of community that the author lived in. He tells the stories of his own generation, his father's generation, and his grandfather's generation, and how they applied the law to live peacefully for generations. Learn what it was like to live off the land without the benefit of modern conveniences.
The high desert region of northeast California and northwest Nevada, where it was miles between houses and where modern civilization was a world away, sets the scene for Garate's story. The area is known as the Madeline Plains, and the community involved is located at the very southern end of the Plains. The author has lived through all stages of the evolution of liberty in America from its purest from on the frontier to where it is today. His personal experiences with liberty give him a unique, entertaining perspective on the subject. You won't want to miss out on this wealth of knowledge.
