A Sovereign People: The Crises of the 1790s and the Birth of American Nationalism

Berkin, Carol

ISBN 10: 0465060889 / ISBN 13: 9780465060887

Published by Basic Books, 2017

About this Item

Item in good condition and has highlighting/writing on text. Used texts may not contain supplemental items such as CDs, info-trac etc.

Seller Inventory # 00088806359

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A Sovereign People: The Crises of the 1790s and the Birth of American Nationalism
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Publication Date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0465060889
• ISBN 13: 9780465060887
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Good

About this title

Synopsis

The momentous story of how George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and John Adams navigated the crises of the 1790s and in the process bound the states into a unified nation

Today the United States is the dominant power in world affairs, and that status seems assured. Yet in the decade following the ratification of the Constitution, the republic's existence was contingent and fragile, challenged by domestic rebellions, foreign interference, and the always-present danger of collapse into mob rule.

Carol Berkin reveals that the nation survived almost entirely due to the actions of the Federalist leadership -- George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and John Adams. Reacting to successive crises, they extended the power of the federal government and fended off foreign attempts to subvert American sovereignty. As Berkin argues, the result was a spike in nationalism, as ordinary citizens began to identify with their nation first, their home states second.

While the Revolution freed the states and the Constitution linked them as never before, this landmark work shows that it was the Federalists who transformed the states into an enduring nation.

About the Author

Carol Berkin is the Baruch Presidential Professor of History at the CUNY Graduate Center. She is the author of many acclaimed books, including A Brilliant Solution. Berkin lives in New York City and Guilford, Connecticut.