The First Congress: How James Madison, George Washington, and

The First Congress: How James Madison, George Washington, and a Group of Extraordinary Men Invented the Government

This â€œfascinatingâ€ (Chicago Tribune), â€œlivelyâ€ (The New York Times) history tells how the First Congress and the Washington administration created one of the most productive and far-reaching governments in American historyâ€”â€œgracefully writtenâ€¦and well worth readingâ€ (The Wall Street Journal).

The First Congress may have been the most important in American history because it established how our government would work. The Constitution was a broad set of principles that left undefined the machinery of government. Fortunately, far-sighted, brilliant, and determined men such as Washington, Madison, Adams, Hamilton, and Jefferson (and others less well known today) labored to create a functioning government.

In The First Congress, award-winning author Fergus Bordewich brings to life the achievements of the First Congress: it debated and passed the first ten amendments to the Constitution, which we know as the Bill of Rights; admitted North Carolina and Rhode Island to the union when they belatedly ratified the Constitution, then admitted two new states, Kentucky and Vermont, establishing the procedure for admitting new states on equal terms with the original thirteen; chose the site of the national capital, a new city to be built on the Potomac; created a national bank to handle the infant republicâ€™s finances; created the first cabinet positions and the federal court system; and many other achievements. But it avoided the subject of slavery, which was too contentious to resolve.

The First Congress takes us back to the days when the future of our country was by no means assured and makes â€œan intricate story clear and fascinatingâ€ (The Washington Post).
Country USA
Brand Simon & Schuster
Manufacturer Simon & Schuster
Binding Paperback
ItemPartNumber 9781451692112
ReleaseDate 2017-02-21
UnitCount 1
EANs 9781451692112

Country	USA
Brand	Simon & Schuster
Manufacturer	Simon & Schuster
Binding	Paperback
ItemPartNumber	9781451692112
ReleaseDate	2017-02-21
UnitCount	1
EANs	9781451692112

The First Congress: How James Madison, George Washington, and a Group of Extraordinary Men Invented the Government

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