Beyond Confederation: Origins of the Constitution and American National Identity (Published by the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture and the University of North Carolina Press)

Beyond Confederation scrutinizes the ideological background of the U.S. Constitution, the rigors of its writing and ratification, and the problems it both faced and provoked immediately after ratification. The essays in this collection question much of the heritage of eighteenth-century constitutional thought and suggest that many of the commonly debated issues have led us away from the truly germane questions. The authors challenge many of the traditional generalizations and the terms and scope of that debate as well. The contributors raise fresh questions about the Constitution as it enters its third century. What happened in Philadelphia in 1787, and what happened in the state ratifying conventions? Why did the states--barely--ratify the Constitution? What were Americans of the 1789s attempting to achieve? The exploratory conclusions point strongly to an alternative constitutional tradition, some of it unwritten, much of it rooted in state constitutional law; a tradition that not only has redefined the nature and role of the Constitution but also has placed limitations on its efficacy throughout American history. The authors are Lance Banning, Richard Beeman, Stephen Botein, Richard D. Brown, Richard E. Ellis, Paul Finkelman, Stanley N. Katz, Ralph Lerner, Drew R. McCoy, John M. Murrin, Jack N. Rakove, Janet A. Riesman, and Gordon S. Wood. Pt. 1. Ideologies: The American Constitution: A Revolutionary Interpretation / Stanley N. Katz -- The Constitution Of The Thinking Revolutionary / Ralph Lerner -- Interests And Disinterestedness In The Making Of The Constitution / Gordon S. Wood -- Pt. 2. Issues: Shay's Rebellion And The Ratification Of The Federal Constitution In Massachusetts / Richard D. Brown -- Money, Credit, And Federalist Political Economy / Janet A. Riesman -- The Practical Sphere Of A Republic: James Madison, The Constitutional Conventions, And The Emergence Of Revolutionary Federalism / Lance Banning -- Slavery And The Constitutional Convention: Making A Covenant With Death / Paul Finkelman -- James Madison And Visions Of American Nationality In The Confederation Period: A Regional Perspective / Drew R. Mccoy -- Pt. 3. Aftermath: The Structure Of Politics At The Accession Of George Washington / Jack N. Rakove -- The Persistence Of Antifederalism After 1789 / Richard E. Ellis -- Religious Dimensions Of The Early America State / Stephen Botein -- Epilogue: A Roof Without Walls: The Dilemma Of American National Identity / John M. Murrin. Edited By Richard Beeman, Stephen Botein, And Edward C. Carter Ii. Published For The Institute Of Early American History And Culture, Williamsburg, Virginia. Chiefly Comprised Of Papers Presented At A Conference In Philadelphia, Oct. 1984. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover Contents Acknowledgments Introduction PART I: IDEOLOGIES The American Constitution: A Revolutionary Interpretation The Constitution of the Thinking Revolutionary Interests and Disinterestedness in the Making of the Constitution PART II: ISSUES Shays's Rebellion and the Ratification of the Federal Constitution in Massachusetts Money, Credit, and Federalist Political Economy The Practicable Sphere of a Republic: James Madison, the Constitutional Convention, and the Emergence of Revolutionary Federalism Slavery and the Constitutional Convention: Making a Covenant with Death James Madison and Visions of American Nationality in the Confederation Period: A Regional Perspective PART III: AFTERMATH The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George Washington The Persistence of Antifederalism after 1789 Religious Dimensions of the Early American State EPILOGUE A Roof without Walls: The Dilemma of American National Identity Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z Notes on Contributors Examines the ideological background of the US Constitution, the rigours of its writing and ratification, and the problems it both faced and provoked immediately after ratification. The essays in this collection question much of the heritage of eighteenth-century constitutional thought and suggest that many of the commonly debated issues have led us away from the truly germane questions. The year 1987 promises to be easier for Americans than 1976.