≫ Libro Gratis Miracle At Philadelphia The Story of the Constitutional Convention May September 1787 Catherine Drinker Bowen 9780316103985 Books

Miracle At Philadelphia The Story of the Constitutional Convention May September 1787 Catherine Drinker Bowen 9780316103985 Books

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Miracle At Philadelphia The Story of the Constitutional Convention May September 1787 Catherine Drinker Bowen 9780316103985 Books

This is one of the finest books written about the Federal Convention; that critical pivot point in our history where educated delegates of strong convictions argued heatedly at times but in the end worked together to bring forth a framework by which the young colony-states could shape themselves and give birth to a nation.
The weak and timid one-star or two-star reviews are evidence of the immense intellectual decline since 1787 as we move toward idiocracy and cognitive laziness. If you can't "get into" this book, you should not be allowed to vote.


Tags : Miracle At Philadelphia: The Story of the Constitutional Convention May - September 1787 [Catherine Drinker Bowen] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <b>A classic history of the Federal Convention at Philadelphia in 1787, the stormy, dramatic session that produced the most enduring of political documents: the Constitution of the United States.</b> From Catherine Drinker Bowen,Catherine Drinker Bowen,Miracle At Philadelphia: The Story of the Constitutional Convention May - September 1787,Back Bay Books,0316103985,4286222,United States - Revolutionary Period (1775-1800),Constitutional history;United States.,United States,(1787),Children's, young adult & educational,Constitutional Convention,Constitutional history,Constitutions,GENERAL,HISTORY United States General,HISTORY United States Revolutionary Period (1775-1800),History,History - General History,History of the Americas,HistoryAmerican,History: American,Non-Fiction,POLITICAL SCIENCE American Government General,POLITICAL SCIENCE Constitutions,POLITICAL SCIENCE History & Theory,Political ScienceConstitutions,U.S. HISTORY - REVOLUTION AND CONFEDERATION (1775-1789),United States - General,United States.,political history of the united states; history us constitution; american revolution history; federal convention; Philadelphia; american constitution history; constitution bill of rights; federalist papers; ratification of the constitution; articles of confederation history; us constitution; colonial america history; philadelphia eleven; american history books; us history; revolutionary war; 1787,Constitutions,HISTORY United States General,HISTORY United States Revolutionary Period (1775-1800),POLITICAL SCIENCE American Government General,POLITICAL SCIENCE Constitutions,POLITICAL SCIENCE History & Theory,Political ScienceConstitutions,United States - General,History - General History,(1787),Constitutional Convention,Constitutional history,United States.,U.S. History - Revolution And Confederation (1775-1789),History,History: American,History: World,Children's, young adult & educational,History of the Americas

Miracle At Philadelphia The Story of the Constitutional Convention May September 1787 Catherine Drinker Bowen 9780316103985 Books Reviews

This is a wonderful and very well documented review of the history of the development of the US Constitution. Using many first-hand original documents as sources, the author provides both the facts of the debates as well as the personal concerns of many of the important contributors to development of the US Constitution. Reading this book will help the reader to better understand the contents, nature, and concerns about the Constitution from those who struggled so valiantly to determine the form the US Government should take. It also is illuminating to see that the concerns of the founders, are some of the same concerns experienced today by many who are distressed about the directions of our current government.
"... assembly of demi-gods"... (Thomas Jefferson, in his remarks about the quality of persons attending the Federal Convention - pg 4)

"Miracle at Philadelphia" is one of the many books I have read about the American Revolution as I revere the subject; and for me, it stands at the top of a list of excellent writings about the forming of our Nation. Not only is Catherine Drinker Bowen's accounting eloquent and logical, she manages to take us there as if by magic; we "feel" the humid air, the possibility of disease lurking around every corner, the lack of sanitation, the torment of mosquitoes that emerge at night unabated during that long hot summer of debate over the Constitution - the Great Experiment unfolding it's wings.

A passage from the first paragraph of this remarkable book

<<<<"Over Philadelphia, the air lay hot and humid; old people said it was the worst summer since 1750. French visitors wrote home that they could not breathe. 'At each inhaling of air, one worries about the next one. The slightest movement is painful.' ">>

Jefferson's unusual statement about the demigods was, as were most of his observations, astute in the moment. Truly it was a gathering of the finest minds available anywhere in the world, all collected at precisely the same time, with preservation of the new-found, hard won freedom uppermost in the psyche of all of them; determined to form as perfect a document of government as could be agreed upon;, along with a separate bill of rights, and the "miracle at Philadelphia" did come to pass. It was not without pain, flaws and disappointments for some, but what emerged from this period of time between May and September of 1787 has endured as the lighted lantern of a free people. One immense yet single goal, attested to "through baptism by fire" - by the magnificent, dedicated few, overcoming personal agendas to protect the future of the many. We sense the urgency to create a fail-safe document, mingling uneasily with the underlying fear that if mistakes were made now, all could be circumvented by the unscrupulous in the centuries to follow. We feel the intense, vibrant and varying personalities that tried to beat the political bushes enough to rout out the roaches that may be lurking in the document. It's such a mess today it's hard to justify the making of a central government without feeling somewhat foolish; but It was clear that something had to be done with the Articles of Confederation; the "sovereign states" had become so sovereign that they considered themselves untouchable with regards to sending monies to the common kitty to pay down debt. Nobody knew this better than George Washington; in the throes of the Revolution itself, his pleas for supplies, payrolls for his army, seemingly were tabled inexcusably, maddeningly - by the existing congress even in the face of possibly losing the war for liberty itself. So, after the was won under such duress (another miracle) the gathering of the "demigods", heeded the call together in high secrecy in Philadelphia for the forming of a central government, whose citizens were to be protected by a truly unique "Constitution" - even though those patriots such as Patrick Henry were absent in protest fearing another imperial government might be unfolding).

This is truly a magnificent book, highly recommended for those who follow history. One observation the author makes clear is the fact that many Americans today don't know as much as they should about the debates; and I fear our history teachers may be to blame for some of it. Such an event needs constant fanning of a flame, interesting dialog, and too often it becomes dry and boring without that flame.

Another "must have" accounting for anyone interested in the actual debates over the Constitution, the Library of America offers one that is entitled simply enough "Debate on The Constitution", which is a venerable collection of the best and most eloquent of the many writings by the differing minds that were wrangling over it's writing and ratification at the time. The collection was "selected by Bernard Bailin and includes Benjamin Franklin's famous acceptance speech " I agree to this Constitution with all it's faults" - which is quite a missive in itself, of course.

We all know how it turned out, but she takes us there again, with a strength of insight and devotion seldom seen. Yet another literary gem can be noted for posterity from CDB's book with this short, yet poignant verse of her own

"If all the tales are told, re-tell them, Brother. If few attend, let those who listen, feel."

She speaks for many with those words; I know she speaks for me.
Most people know that our US Revolutionary War was tough, but really do not realize just how tough and discouraging it was, and how close it came to failure. But almost everyone thinks that after that, the colonies realized the problems and dangers of being small, fragmented colonies and we generated this wonderful Constitution. Nope. After the war, the colonies, having just rid themselves of one strong government that oppressed them, became truly 13 separate countries. New Jersey and New York were firing cannon at each other across the Hudson River, competing for islands in the river. Each colony minted its own currency, had tariffs for commerce, its own militia. Britain, Spain, and Indians (a.k.a., "native Americans" who really were immigrants from Siberia but arrogant white Europeans label everything relative only to their own perspective) were invading. Many, maybe most people and leaders were against a strong central government and wanted to continue this way, even with problems and imminent disaster apparent. Only a few, including George Washington and his more activist thought-twin and prescient thinker Alexander Hamilton, kept pushing for one country with central government, a standing army to defend against the rest of the world, stable economic and financial institutions, etc. It took time, compromise, and frankly some trickery and concessions to get a constitution written and adopted. The leaders at the time were very discouraged and about to give up, and when it finally happened, they, not the author, called it "a miracle at Philadelphia". Which is exactly what is was, and we need to understand how people often do not do what is in their own best interests and need strong, inspired leaders to make the right things happen and protect us from our flaws, imperfectly to be sure but better than mob rule and disaster. Should be required reading for every American or student of government and human behavior. What seems obvious, inevitable, and excellent to us was despised, opposed, a hair short of impossible, and (to this day) quite imperfect, but has lasted well to this day. Wisdom, even if unpopular, and compromise, are key, both in short supply currently on all sides. Washington's farewell address (largely created by Hamilton) warned that if we developed a two-party system, every time one side gets into power, they will act to limit the other side, and later the other side will inevitably get into power and undo all the actions and work harder yet to "get" the first side, then the cycle repeats until the government is dysfunctional and dangerous as each side focuses only on winning against and beating the other party, which of course is exactly what we see today. Read this book, stay calm, and carry on as an American first, not first a Democrat or Republican or what ever. That we even made it to this point is amazing, read the book.
This is one of the finest books written about the Federal Convention; that critical pivot point in our history where educated delegates of strong convictions argued heatedly at times but in the end worked together to bring forth a framework by which the young colony-states could shape themselves and give birth to a nation.
The weak and timid one-star or two-star reviews are evidence of the immense intellectual decline since 1787 as we move toward idiocracy and cognitive laziness. If you can't "get into" this book, you should not be allowed to vote.