About the Book
For a quarter of a century between 1763 and 1788, Americans intensely debated the nature of government and the need to protect individual liberties. The debate climaxed in the arguments over the ratification of the Constitution. Through a selection of essential documents from 1787 and 1788, this new edition gives readers the flavor and immediacy of the great debate in all its fire, brilliance, and political intensity. Organized by topic, this is a convenient reference and teaching tool. This updated edition contains an entirely new section on the debate over class structure, property rights, and the economy under the proposed Constitution-an ideal introduction to a debate meaningful today.
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 Introduction
Part 2 1. The Constitution and the Nature of Republican Government
Part 3 Antifederalist
Chapter 4 Brutus I, New York Journal, 18 October 1787
Chapter 5 Cato III, New York Journal, 25 October 1787
Chapter 6 An Old Whig IV, Philadelphia Independent Gazetteer, 27 October 1787
Part 7 Federalist
Chapter 8 James Wilson Speech, Pennsylvania Ratifying Convention, 24 November 1787
Chapter 9 Publius: The Federalist 39, New York Independent Journal, 16 January 1788
Chapter 10 Publius: The Federalist 10, New York Daily Advertiser, 22 November 1787
Chapter 11 Edmund Randolph Speech, Virginia Ratifying Convention, 6 June 1788
Chapter 12 Francis Corbin Speech, Virginia Ratifying Convention, 7 June 1788
Chapter 13 Edmund Randolph Speech, Virginia Ratifying Convention, 10 June 1788
Part 14 2. The House of Representatives
Part 15 Antifederalist
Chapter 16 Luther Martin: Genuine Information, Baltimore Maryland Gazette, 1 January 1788
Chapter 17 George Mason Speech, Virginia Ratifying Convention, 4 June 1788
Chapter 18 Patrick Henry Speech, Virginia Ratifying Convention, 5 June 1788
Part 19 Federalist
Chapter 20 An American Citizen III, Philadelphia Independent Gazetteer, 29 September 1787
Chapter 21 Publius: The Federalist 35, New York Independent Journal, 5 January 1788
Chapter 22 Publius: The Federalist 52, New York Packet, 8 February 1788
Chapter 23 Publius: The Federalist 53, New York Independent Journal, 9 February 1788
Chapter 24 Publius: The Federalist 55, New York Independent Journal, 13 February 1788
Chapter 25 Publius: The Federalist 56, New York Independent Journal, 16 February 1788
Part 26 3. The Senate
Part 27 Antifederalist
Chapter 28 Federal Farmer, c. 8 November 1787
Chapter 29 Cincinnatus IV, New York Journal, 22 November 1787
Chapter 30 Luther Martin: Genuine Information, Baltimore Maryland Gazette, 8 January 1788
Part 31 Federalist
Chapter 32 An American Citizen II, Philadelphia Independent Gazetteer, 28 September 1787
Chapter 33 Publius: The Federalist 62, New York Independent Journal, 27 February 1788
Part 34 4. The President
Part 35 Antifederalist
Chapter 36 An Old Whig V, Philadelphia Independent Gazetteer, 1 November 1787
Chapter 37 Luther Martin: Genuine Information, Baltimore Maryland Gazette, 29 January 1788
Part 38 Antifederalist and Federalist
Chapter 39 Virginia Ratifying Convention Debates, 17-18 June 1788
Part 40 Federalist
Chapter 41 An American Citizen I, Philadelphia Independent Gazetteer, 26 September 1787
Chapter 42 Publius: The Federalist 67, New York Packet, 11 March 1788
Chapter 43 Publius: The Federalist 69, New York Packet, 14 March 1788
Chapter 44 Publius: The Federalist 73, New York Packet, 21 March 1788
Chapter 45 Publius: The Federalist 74, New York Packet, 25 March 1788
Part 46 5. The Judiciary
Part 47 Antifederalist
Chapter 48 Brutus XI, New York Journal, 31 January 1788
Chapter 49 Federal Farmer, c. 8 November 1787
Chapter 50 Centinel II, Philadelphia Freeman's Journal, 24 October 1787
Chapter 51 An Old Whig III, Philadelphia Independent Gazetteer, 20 October 1787
Chapter 52 Dissent of the Minority of the Pennsylvania Convention, Pennsylvania Packet, 18 December 1787
Part 53 Federalist
Chapter 54 Publius: The Federalist 78, 28 May 1788
Chapter 55 Publius: The Federalist 80, 28 May 1788
Chapter 56 Publius: The Federalist 81, 28 May 1788
Part 57 6. The Bill of Rights
Part 58 Antifederalist
Chapter 59 Richard Henry Lee to Edmund Randolph, 16 October 1787
Chapter 60 An Old Whig IV, Philadelphia Independent Gazetteer, 27 October 1787
Chapter 61 Brutus II, New York Journal, 1 November 1787
Chapter 62 John Smilie Speech, Pennsylvania Ratifying Convention, 28 November 1787
Chapter 63 Robert Whitehill Speech, Pennsylvania Ratifying Convention, 28 November 1787
Part 64 Federalists
Chapter 65 James Wilson Speech, 6 October 1787
Chapter 66 A Countryman II, New Haven Gazette, 22 November 1787
Chapter 67 James Wilson Speech, Pennsylvania Ratifying Convention, 28 November 1787
Chapter 68 Publius: The Federalist 84, 28 May 1788
Part 69 7. The Constitution: Debate Over Property, Class, and Government
Part 70 Outsiders View American Society
Chapter 71 Louis Guillaume Otto to Comte de Vergennes, 10 October 1786
Chapter 72 Comte de Moustier to Comte de Montmorin, 2 August 1788
Part 73 Antifederalists
Chapter 74 Federal Farmer, c. 8 November 1787
Chapter 75 Centinel III, Philadelphia Independent Gazetteer, 8 November 1787
Chapter 76 A Plebeian: An Address to the People of the State of New York, 17 April 1788
Chapter 77 Federal Farmer: An Additional Number of Letters to the Republican, 2 May 1788
Chapter 78 Melancton Smith Speech, New York Ratifying Convention, 21 June 1788
Part 79 Federalists
Chapter 80 James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 24 October 1787
Chapter 81 A Landholder I, Connecticut Courant, 5 November 1787
Chapter 82 A Landholder II, Connecticut Courant, 12 November 1787
Chapter 83 Resolutions of the Tradesmen of Boston, 7 January 1788
Chapter 84 Benjamin Rush to Jeremy Belknap, 28 February 1788
Chapter 85 Francis Hopkinson to Thomas Jefferson, 6 April 1788
Chapter 86 David Ramsay Oration, Charleston Columbia Herald, 5 June 1788
Chapter 87 Edmund Pendleton Speech, Virginia Ratifying Convention, 12 June 1788
Chapter 88 Alexander Hamilton Speech, New York Ratifying Convention, 21 June 1788
Chapter 89 Index
About the Author :
John P. Kaminski is the director of The Center for the Study of the American Constitution at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has written and spoken widely on the Constitution. He is a former president of The Association for Documentary Editing. Richard Leffler is associate director of The Center for the Study of the American Constitution at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and associate editor of The Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution.
Review :
Anyone curious to explore the issues that shaped the founding of our nation will find here a fine sampling of contemporary thought that provides an excellent foundation for better understanding the Constitution. . . . This book will be a boon for those who teach about the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
