The Debate on the Constitution: Federalist and Anti-Federalist Speeches, Articles, and Letters During the Struggle over Ratification 1787-1788: A Library of America Boxed Set

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The ultimate record of the nation's birth, now in a collector's boxed set- During the secret proceedings of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, the framers created a fundamentally new national plan to replace the Articles of Confederation and then submitted it to conventions in each state for ratification. Immediately, a fierce storm of argument broke. Gathering hundreds of original texts by Franklin, Madison, Jefferson, Washington, and Patrick Henry-as well as many others less well known today-this unrivaled collection allows readers to experience firsthand the intense year-long struggle that created what remains the world's oldest working national charter. Here in full are the most essential Federalist Papers by Madison and Hamilton in their original dramatic context; the case against the new constitution by Virginian George Mason; and the crucial compromise forged by John Hancock and Samuel Adams in Massachusetts. The set also includes complete texts of the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and Constitution (with all amendments); detailed biographical profiles of all authors; informative notes; and a full historical chronology. LIBRARY OF AMERICAis an independent nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1979 to preserve our nation's literary heritage by publishing, and keeping permanently in print, America's best and most significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than 300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.

Reviews

"The best resource for understanding the morning headlines I've seen in a long time." Bill Moyers

"An easily accessible set of sacred writings for America's civil religion, these two books are composed of the very stuff of history." The Chicago Tribune

"Not only is it wonderful writing, it is wonderful thinking." Nina Totenberg, NPR

Author Bio

BERNARD BAILYN is Adams University Professor and James Duncan Phillips Professor of Early American History, emeritus, at Harvard University. He is the author many acclaimed works, including The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution and Voyagers to the West- A Passage in the Peopling of America on the Eve of the Revolution.