Böcker av John Vile

From distinguished author John R. Vile comes a new history of the American early republic period, presented through primary documents that are illuminated and explained in context.This new book in the Documents Decoded series provides readers with an understanding of the key documents and debates in the early American republic-from the presidency of George Washington through that of John Quincy Adams. With more than 50 edited primary documents relevant to American history from 1789 through 1828, the primary source material is organized in sections that will help readers to identify and appreciate multiple perspectives on key issues.The primary documents in this reference volume include laws, sermons, presidential speeches, court decisions, proclamations, treaties, and debates that will illuminate key issues such as the structure of government, the protection of individual rights, slavery, and the respective rights of the state and national governments. Examples subjects include Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson's debates, the Alien and Sedition Acts, the Louisiana Purchase Treaty, "The Star-Spangled Banner," the Monroe Doctrine, and the Missouri Compromise of 1820.

Written by a renowned expert on the American Founding period, this book examines selections of key documents from 1215 through 1791 that were instrumental to the development of the U.S. Constitution and the American political tradition.The latest addition to ABC-CLIO's popular Documents Decoded series, John R. Vile's Founding Documents of America presents historic documents key to the foundations of our nation's government accompanied by introductions that supply background information and analysis that highlights key provisions and provide historical context. The coverage extends beyond the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights to provide contextual understanding of a wide range of other documents, such as private diary entries and political polemics, that will further readers' understanding of the United States' founding and early political development.The documents are organized chronologically into four sections: constitutional antecedents; the revolutionary and confederal periods; calling and convening the Constitutional Convention; and debating, ratifying, implementing, and amending the new Constitution. Through its more than 50 primary source documents-from the Magna Carta of 1215 through the Bill of Rights, which was adopted in 1791-this book will serve high school and college students seeking to understand the documents that laid the foundations for the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, and provide opportunities for student readers to build critical thinking skills.

Since the Reconstruction period, there have been over forty proposals to rewrite the U.S. Constitution. John Vile's unique historical study analyzes all of these proposals within the framework of the constitutional amending process. In each case Vile examines the substance of the proposal, its goals and methods, the response to the proposal, and its overall influence--concluding that the Constitution in its current form faces no immediate threats. He finds no convincing cases for a new Constitution and believes that most perceived defects can be remedied with less drastic measures.The study illuminates issues of constitutional change, stressing the importance of understanding alternative forms of government and the basis for their support. While immediate change is not likely, constitutional change will ultimately come, and when it does, earlier criticisms and suggestions may help to set the agenda. Proposals for change are critiques which help to identify strengths and weaknesses in the current system. In addition, examinations of past proposals reveal how people view the Constitution during crises. This work will be particularly useful for political scientists, historians, lawyers, and individuals interested in, or involved with, efforts for constitutional change.