The Constitutional Convention of 1787: A Reference Guide

by Stuart Leibiger

Overview

This history of the 1787 Constitutional Convention uses a chronological narrative format to capture the complexity, messiness, and unfolding daily drama behind the writing of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the role of contingency in that process.

The Framers of the U.S. Constitution designed a novel republican form of government to replace the failing Confederation, one that would divide power between the federal government and the states, launching a new phase of the American "experiment" in representative democracy. Not until the end of the American Civil War, nearly a century later, would it become clear, as Abraham Lincoln put it in his Gettysburg Address, "that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth."

The Constitutional Convention of 1787: A Reference Guide provides an invaluable guide covering the background to the convention, the convention itself, the ratification of the Constitution, and the adoption of the Bill of Rights. In addition to the narrative itself, the story of the convention is supplemented with a detailed chronology, a rich selection of primary source documents, 15 biographical sketches of convention delegates, and a comprehensive bibliographical essay. Based largely on primary sources, the book also weighs in on some of the historiographical debates that have taken place among scholars about the convention.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440862977
Publisher:	ABC-CLIO, Incorporated
Publication date:	06/14/2019
Series:	Guides to Historic Events in America
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	323
File size:	10 MB

About the Author

Stuart Leibiger, PhD, is professor of history at La Salle University.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations xi

Series Foreword xv

Preface: A System to Last for Ages xvii

Delegates to the Constitutional Convention xxv

Speeches, Motions, and Committee Assignments in the Constitutional Convention xxvii

Chronology xxxi

Chapter 1 The Road to Philadelphia 1

Chapter 2 The Triumph of the Virginia Plan 45

Chapter 3 The Great Compromise 89

Chapter 4 Ironing Out the Details 127

Chapter 5 The Executive, the Judiciary, Postponed Parts, and the Signing 159

Chapter 6 Ratification of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights 199

Conclusion 237

Biographical Essays 239

John Dickinson (1732-1808) 239

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) 240

Elbridge Gerry (1744-1814) 241

Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804) 242

Rufus King (1755-1827) 243

James Madison (1751-1836) 244

George Mason (1725-1792) 245

Gouverneur Morris (1752-1816) 245

Edmund Randolph (1753-1813) 246

Roger Sherman (1721-1793) 247

George Washington (1732-1799) 248

James Wilson (1742-1798) 249

Primary Documents 251

1 Annapolis Convention Report, September 14, 1786 251

2 Virginia Appoints Delegates to the Constitutional Convention, November-December, 1786 254

3 The Confederation Congress's Resolution Approving the Constitutional Convention, February 21, 1787 256

4 James Madison to George Washington, April 16, 1787 257

5 The Virginia Plan, May 29, 1787 261

6 The New Jersey Plan, June 15, 1787 264

7 Alexander Hamilton's Plan of Government, June 18, 1787 266

8 Benjamin Franklin's Speech, September 17, 1787 268

9 Cover Letter Transmitting the Constitution to the Confederation Congress, September 17, 1787 271

10 The Confederation Congress's Resolution Transmitting the Constitution to the State Legislatures, September 28, 1787 272

11 James Wilson's State House Yard Speech, October 6, 1787 273

12 George Mason's Objections to This Constitution of Government, October 7, 1787 279

13 Brutus I, October 18, 1787 281

14 Amendments Recommended by the Massachusetts Ratification Convention, February 6, 1788 292

15 The Federalist, Number 51, February 8, 1788 295

Bibliographical Essay 301

Index 307

What People are Saying About This

Timothy D. Moore

"Leibiger’s work uniquely combines both the topical and chronological approaches to the debates in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787. This nuanced narrative, combined with the inclusion of important primary sources materials, and biographies offers a critical addition to the historiography of the Philadelphia Convention."

John P. Kaminski

"Avoiding the oft-used topical approach, Stuart Leibiger deftly traces the drafting of the Constitution through a chronological prism that allows the reader to comprehend and appreciate the complex fluctuations faced by the fifty-five delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Leibiger’s narrative is lively, engaging, and factual. His appended list of speech makers, biographical essays, and critical documents significantly enhance the story, making it valuable both to general readers and for classroom adoption."

Editorial Reviews

Highly recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates, high school students, and general readers.” —Choice

From the Publisher

12/01/2019

Gr 9 Up—Organized chronologically, this textbook-like guide to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 takes a traditional, Eurocentric viewpoint of American history. With little offered to make period culture engaging and accessible to contemporary high school researchers, this title may best serve as a discovery point for advanced students in need of ideas for primary source exploration. The collection of biographical essays and primary sources (speeches from Benjamin Franklin and James Wilson; Alexander Hamilton's plan of government) appended here are scant, so researchers will need to reach well beyond this volume. Black-and-white reproductions, while few, are clear and intriguing; perhaps they might inspire a teen to dig more deeply online. VERDICT An additional purchase for comprehensive collections; more appropriate for circulation than reference retention.—Francisca Goldsmith, Library Ronin, Worcester, MA

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