Williamsburg Regional Library

The framers' coup, the making of the United States Constitution, Michael J. Klarman

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 815-824) and index

illustrations

index present

non fiction

The framers' coup

bibliography

942885333

Michael J. Klarman

the making of the United States Constitution

"Based on prodigious research and told largely through the voices of the participants, Michael Klarman's The Framers' Coup narrates how the Framers' clashing interests shaped the Constitution--and American history itself. ... Not only does Klarman capture the knife's-edge atmosphere of the convention, he populates his narrative with riveting and colorful stories. ... The Framers' Coup is more than a compendium of great stories, however, and the powerful arguments that feature throughout will reshape our understanding of the nation's founding. Simply put, the Constitutional Convention almost didn't happen, and once it happened, it almost failed. And, even after the convention succeeded, the Constitution it produced almost failed to be ratified. Just as importantly, the Constitution was hardly the product of philosophical reflections by brilliant, disinterested statesmen, but rather ordinary interest group politics. Multiple conflicting interests had a say, from creditors and debtors to city dwellers and backwoodsmen. The upper class overwhelmingly supported the Constitution; many working class colonists were more dubious. Slave states and nonslave states had different perspectives on how well the Constitution served their interests. Ultimately, both the Constitution's content and its ratification process raise troubling questions about democratic legitimacy. The Federalists were eager to avoid full-fledged democratic deliberation over the Constitution, and the document that was ratified was stacked in favor of their preferences. And in terms of substance, the Constitution was a significant departure from the more democratic state constitutions of the 1770s. Definitive and authoritative, The Framers' Coup explains why the Framers preferred such a constitution and how they managed to persuade the country to adopt it. We have lived with the consequences, both positive and negative, ever since." -- Publisher's website

Flaws in the Articles of Confederation -- Economic turmoil in the states and the road to Philadelphia -- The Constitutional Convention -- Slavery and the Constitutional Constitution -- Critics of the Constitution: the Antifederalists -- The ratifying contest -- The Bill of Rights -- Conclusion

adult

Making of the United States Constitution