Sir Henry Sumner’s “Lectures on the Early History of Institutions” Maine is an insightful examination of political science, comparative law, and prehistoric society. Maine explores kinfolk, tribal communities, ancient legal remedies, and sovereignty in this follow-up to his more well-known book, Ancient Law. His theory compares and contrasts the autonomy and freedom to form contracts and groups in the modern era with the closely tied status of individuals in the ancient world.