The Constitutional Convention: A Narrative History from the Notes of James Madison

In 1787, the fledgling American nation was in the throes of a serious economic depression, at least partly because the Articles of Confederation were too weak to make a stable republic. At the initiative of 36-year-old Virginian James Madison, delegates convened in Philadelphia that year to draft the much stronger U.S. Constitution. This book tells the convention's turbulent story in Madison's own words, drawn from the notes he took at the scene and giving us a daily blow-by-blow. Along the way, modern readers begin to understand just how much of the government's role was up for grabs. Should the executive be a single person, or was that too much like a monarchy? Would all members of Congress be elected by the people—a potentially dangerous and anarchic proposition—or would senators be appointed by the state legislatures? How would slaves be counted for government representation? Larson (a professor of history and law at the University of Georgia) and Winship (a professor of English at the University of Texas–Austin) steer readers through the fierce debates with helpful explanations and editorial asides, as well as a cogent epilogue, making this primary source far more than a tidy civics lesson. (On sale Nov. 8)