
This book was written to explore the contribution of Revolutionary War veterans to the founding of the American republic. By veterans, we mean all those who served in the Continental and state forces, on land or sea. Twenty three of those veterans were among the men who signed the Constitution in Philadelphia on 17 September 1787. That document, as the eminent American historian Samuel Eliot Morison put it, is "a work of genius, since it set up what every earlier political scientist had thought impossible, a sovereign union of sovereign states. This reconciling of unity with diversity, this practical application of the federal principle, is undoubtedly the most original contribution of the United States to the history and technique of human liberty."
This work investigates the specific influence and political contributions of Revolutionary War veterans in the drafting and ratification of the United States Constitution. Robert K. Wright, Jr. examines the intersection of military service and civic governance, arguing that the practical experience gained by these men during the conflict informed the structural design of the new republic. The text utilizes historical records to identify the twenty-three veterans who signed the document, positioning their military background as a critical factor in their approach to federalism.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Historians and scholars of the American founding period recognize this text as a focused resource for understanding the military-to-civilian transition of the era's leadership. Readers frequently note the clarity of the biographical data provided, which serves as a useful reference for those studying the specific demographics of the Constitutional Convention.
Page Count:
0
Publication Date:
1987-01-01
Publisher:
United States Govt Printing Office
ISBN-10:
0160019559
ISBN-13:
9780160019555
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