The Penguin Guide to the United States Constitution

by Beeman, Richard

• ISBN13: 9780143118107
• ISBN10: 0143118102
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-08-31
• Publisher: Penguin Group USA

Summary

THE LAW OF THE LAND IN A HANDY REFERENCE YOU CAN TAKE ANYWHERE Professor Richard Beeman, one of the most respected constitutional scholars in the nation, has produced what no citizen of the United States should be without: a compact, fully annotated copy of the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution and amendments, including the Bill of Rights, all in their entirety. A marvel of accessibility and erudition, The guide also features a history of the making of the Constitution with excerpts from the Federalist Papers and a look at crucial Supreme Court cases that reminds us that the meaning of many of the specific provisions of the Constitution has changed over time. These are the documents that define us as a nation-in a portable format.

Author Biography

Richard Beeman is professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania. He serves as a trustee of the National Constitution Center and is chair of the Constitution Center's Committee on Programs, Exhibitions, and Education. His biography of Patrick Henry was a finalist for the National Book Award. He is, most recently, the author of Plain Honest Men: The Making of the American Constitution.

Table of Contents

A Note on the Text	p. vii
The Declaration of Independence	p. 3
The Constitution of the United States	p. 21
Amendments to the Constitution	p. 61
Selections From the Federalist Papers	p. 93
The Revolutionary Origins of the American Constitution	p. 117
America Struggles to Achieve Independence, Liberty, and Union: Government Under the Articles of Confederation	p. 133
The Constitutional Convention of 1787: A Revolution in Government	p. 145
The Contest Over Ratification: America's First National Referendum	p. 167
Establishing Government Under The Constitution, 1789-1801	p. 175
Supreme Court Decisions That Have Shaped America's Constitutional History	p. 189
Suggestions For Further Reading	p. 209
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