A Brilliant Solution: Inventing the American ConstitutionHistorian Carol Berkin's A Brilliant Solution: Inventing the American Constitution is a rich narrative portrait of post-revolutionary America and the men who shaped its political future. "Just as the Constitution was a brilliant solution to the problems of the 1780s, Carol Berkin's book is a brilliant account of the making of that constitution. Written with great verve and clarity, it nicely captures all the contingency and unpredictability in the framing of the Constitution."--Pulitzer Prize-winning author Gordon S. Wood Though the American Revolution is widely recognized as our nation's founding story, the years immediately following the war -- when our government was a disaster and the country was in a terrible crisis -- were in fact the most crucial in establishing the country's independence. The group of men who traveled to Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 had no idea what kind of history their meeting would make. But all their ideas, arguments, and compromises -- from the creation of the Constitution itself, article by article, to the insistence that it remain a living, evolving document -- laid the foundation for a government that has surpassed the founders' greatest hopes. Revisiting all the original historical documents of the period and drawing from her deep knowledge of eighteenth-century politics, Carol Berkin opens up the hearts and minds of America's founders, revealing the issues they faced, the times they lived in, and their humble expectations of success. |
From inside the book
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... creation of the historic 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia . " -The Star - Ledger ( Newark ) " A fresh account of our beginnings . " -The Washington Times " Makes the achievement even more amazing in the process . " -The St ...
... creation of the historic 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia . " -The Star - Ledger ( Newark ) " A fresh account of our beginnings . " -The Washington Times " Makes the achievement even more amazing in the process . " -The St ...
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... Creation of the American Republic " A story all modern Americans need to know - the exciting and true tale of our nation's origins , as narrated by one of our best historians . " -Professor Mary Beth Norton , Cornell University A ...
... Creation of the American Republic " A story all modern Americans need to know - the exciting and true tale of our nation's origins , as narrated by one of our best historians . " -Professor Mary Beth Norton , Cornell University A ...
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... created that constitution believed confidently that they were designing a government for the ages . Many histori ... creating a government A Brilliant Solution 7.
... created that constitution believed confidently that they were designing a government for the ages . Many histori ... creating a government A Brilliant Solution 7.
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Inventing the American Constitution Carol Berkin. what to do and did it , creating a government that would endure for ... created . Yet the papers of the founding fathers do not support this interpretation . Madison's remarkable record of ...
Inventing the American Constitution Carol Berkin. what to do and did it , creating a government that would endure for ... created . Yet the papers of the founding fathers do not support this interpretation . Madison's remarkable record of ...
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Contents
The Call for a Convention | 11 |
Making Mr Madison Wait | 30 |
A Gathering of Demigods | 48 |
The Perils of Power | 68 |
Schisms Threats and Compromises | 96 |
Debating the Presidency Once Again | 116 |
The Convention Ends | 149 |
The Battle for Ratification | 169 |
The Inauguration of President George Washington | 191 |
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Common terms and phrases
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