The Creation of the American Republic 1776-1787 (Institute of Early American History and Culture) - Hardcover
Synopsis
During the Revolutionary era, American political theory underwent
a fundamental transformation that carried the nation out of a
basically classical and medieval world of political discussion
into a milieu that was recognizably modern. This classic work is
a study of that transformation. Gordon Wood describes in rich
detail the evolution of political thought from the Declaration of
Independence to the ratification of the Constitution and in the
process greatly illuminates the origins of the present American
political system.
In a new preface, Wood discusses the debate over
republicanism that has developed since--and as a result of--the
book's original publication in 1969.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Review
Gordon S. Wood--winner of the Pulitzer Prize and professor of American history at Brown University--had no idea what he was getting into when he began this 653-page book. Innocently, he wanted to write a "monographic analysis of constitution-making in the Revolutionary era." Little did he know he would discover an intellectual world where a complete transformation of political thought was occurring, one that would create "a distinctly American system of politics." As Wood explains, "Beneath the variety and idiosyncrasies of American opinion there emerged a general pattern of beliefs about the social process--a set of common assumptions about history, society, and politics that connected and made significant seemingly discrete and unrelated ideas. Really for the first time I began to glimpse what late eighteenth-century Americans meant when they talked about living in an enlightened age." This original study of the American political system is a strong contribution to the scholarly studies of the events surrounding the nation's independence.
Book Description
"One of the half dozen most important books ever written about the American Revolution."-- New York Times Book Review
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
