Foreword
Preface
A Note for Students
PART I. THE DOCUMENT
The Constitution of the United States
PART II. INTRODUCTION
The Creation of the United States
From Revolution to Ratification
Historians and the Constitution
PART III. SOME CURRENT QUESTIONS
1. What were the issues in 1787?
Isaac Kramnick, The "Great National Discussion": The Discourse of Politics in 1787
2. Were the framers counterrevolutionaries?
Stephen E. Patterson, The Federalist Reaction to Shays's Rebellion
3. What did the Federalists achieve?
Gordon S. Wood, The American Science of Politics, From The Creation of the American Republic, 1776–1787
4. Did the Constitution create a republic of white men?
Jan Lewis, "Of Every Age Sex & Condition": The Representation of Women in the Constitution
5. Can we know the original intent of the Framers?
Jack N. Rakove, The Perils of Originalism, From Original Means: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution
Making Connections
Suggestions for Further Reading