Alternative Constitutions for the United States: A Documentary History

(Hardback)

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Description

The framers of the Constitution in 1787 created a durable republican government, a unique achievement in the saga of human civilization. Throughout American history, however, a handful of people have suggested that the United States's problem is its Constitution and that the answer is a new document. This book republishes proposed alternative constitutions, most for the first time. The volume opens with an introduction that explores the significance of these constitutions to American constitutional development and assesses the framers' success in nearly precluding counter-constitutional opposition. The ten chapters that follow include an introduction to each proposed constitution, a brief biographical sketch of the author, the constitution itself, and a summary of the contemporary response to the proposed constitution. This book will be of interest to constitutional and legal historians and to intellectual and political historians.

Reviews

Boyd's collection is a unique reference that should stimulate further thinking about US constitutional history and reform.-Choice
"Boyd's collection is a unique reference that should stimulate further thinking about US constitutional history and reform."-Choice

Author Bio

STEVEN R. BOYD is Associate Professor of History at the University of Texas--San Antonio. His most recent book is The Whiskey Rebellion: Past and Present Perspectives (Greenwood Press, 1985).