The Essential Antifederalist

Edited by William B. Allen, Gordon Lloyd

Not available to order

Publication date:

20 December 2001

Length of book:

374 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9780742521872

At the pivotal moment in the history of the United States of America, ratification of the Constitution was championed by James Madison, John Jay and Alexander Hamilton in a series of newspaper articles known as the Federalist Papers.
In answer to these arguments and as a way of pointing up flaws and weaknesses in the Constitution itself, a number of political thinkers (who mostly used pseudonyms) argued against ratification through articles and speeches which have collectively come to be known as the "Antifederalist Papers." This edited collection of readings from Antifederalist thought was first published in 1985. Here presented with a completely revised and updated interpretive essay from the editors and expanded to cover the period of the founding from 1776-91, this book is the most complete one-volume collection of its kind.

Part 1 Chapter One: Origin of Antifederalist Thought
Chapter 3 John Lansing, George Mason, and Luther Martin, 20 June 1787
Chapter 4 Luther Martin, 27-28 June 1787
Chapter 5 George Mason, Objections
Chapter 6 Richard Henry Lee, Letter to Edmund Randolph, 16 October 1787
Chapter 7 Elbridge Gerry, Objections
Chapter 8 Cato, Letter III
Chapter 9 An Old Whig, Essay VII
Chapter 10 Pennsylvania Minority Report
Chapter 11 Robert Yates and John Lansing, Reasons of Dissent
Chapter 12 Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Alexander Donald, 7 February 1788
Chapter 13 Agrippa, Letters XV and XVI
Chapter 14 Sidney, Essay II
Chapter 15 A Plebian
Part 16 Chapter Two: Antifederalist Views of Federalism
Chapter 17 Federal Farmer, Letters I and XVII
Chapter 18 Centinel, Letter I
Chapter 19 Brutus, Essays I and V
Chapter 20 Agrippa, Letter IV
Chapter 21 Maryland Farmer Essay III, Part One
Chapter 22 Patrick Henry, Virginia Ratifying Convention, 4-5 June 1788
Chapter 23 Virginia Ratifying Convention Amendment Proposals
Part 24 Chapter Three: Antifederalist Views of Republicanism
Chapter 25 Richard Henry Lee, Letter to George Mason, 1 October 1787
Chapter 26 Federal Farmer, Letters II, III, IV and XII
Chapter 27 Old Whig, Essay IV
Chapter 28 Brutus, Essays II, IV, XI, XII, XV
Chapter 29 Cato, Letters V and VII
Chapter 30 John DeWitt, Essay V
Chapter 31 James Monroe, Observations on the Constitution
Chapter 32 Virginia Ratifying Convention, 18 June 1788
Chapter 33 Melancton Smith, New York Ratifying Convention, 20 June 1788
Chapter 34 John Lansing, New York Ratifying Convention, 24 June 1788
Part 35 Chapter Four: Antifederalist Views of Capitalism and Democracy
Chapter 36 Centinel, Letters III, IV, VII, VIII
Chapter 37 A Georgian
Chapter 38 Brutus, Essay III
Chapter 39 Cato, Letter VI
Chapter 40 Agrippa, Letters VII, IX, XII, XIV
Chapter 41 Federal Farmer, Letters VII, VIII, IX
Chapter 42 Maryland Farmer, Essay III, Part II; and Essay VII, Part I
Chapter 43 Mercy Otis Warren, The American Revolution

The Revised Edition of The Essential Antifederalist continues the original, important contribution to the history and thought of the founding, now with an importantly expanded interpretive essay comprehensively reviewing recent scholarship, very helpful apparatus, such as an index, and readier identification of individual entries. This is a MUST for teaching the founding.