We apply a set of rules for theorizing developed to expand the “rigorous” methodology of quantitative research to Doug McAdam’s Political Process and the Development of Black Insurgency, 1930–1970 (1982). We contend that the strength and breadth of McAdam’s data and his application of that data to refute extant theories combined with his new flexible—perhaps overly so—concepts allowed political process theory (PPT) to rise to prominence in the field. We find his book to be a good example of how a single-case study, despite its shortcomings, can play a crucial role in the development of theory and the emergence of influential research paradigms.