The Other Founders: Anti-Federalism and the Dissenting Tradition in America, 1788-1828

Description

Fear of centralized authority is deeply rooted in American history. The struggle over the U.S. Constitution in 1788 pitted the Federalists, supporters of a stronger central government, against the Anti-Federalists, the champions of a more localist vision of politics. But, argues Saul Cornell, while the Federalists may have won the battle over ratification, it is the ideas of the Anti-Federalists that continue to define the soul of American politics. While no Anti-Federalist party emerged after ratification, Anti-Federalism continued to help define the limits of legitimate dissent within the American constitutional tradition for decades. Anti-Federalist ideas also exerted an important influence on Jeffersonianism and Jacksonianism. Exploring the full range of Anti-Federalist thought, Cornell illustrates its continuing relevance in the politics of the early Republic. A new look at the Anti-Federalists is particularly timely given the recent revival of interest in this once neglected group, notes Cornell. Now widely reprinted, Anti-Federalist writings are increasingly quoted by legal scholars and cited in Supreme Court decisions--clear proof that their authors are now counted among the ranks of America's founders. Acknowledgments Contents List of Abbreviations and a Note on the Notes Introduction. The Other Founders Chapter 1. Ratification and the Politics of the Public Sphere Chapter 2. Elite Anti-Federalist Political and Constitutional Thought Chapter 3. Popular Anti-Federalist Political and Constitutional Thought Chapter 4. Courts, Conventions, and Constitutionalism: The Politics of the Public Sphere Chapter 5. The Emergence of a Loyal Opposition Chapter 6. Anti-Federalist Voices within Democratic-Republicanism Chapter 7. The Limits of Dissenting Constitutionalism Chapter 8. The Founding Dialogue and the Politics of Constitutional Interpretation Chapter 9. Democratic-Republican Constitutionalism and the Public Sphere Chapter 10. The Dissenting Tradition, from the Revolution of 1800 until Nullification Epilogue. Anti-Federalism and the American Political Tradition Appendix 1. Reprinting of Anti-Federalist Documents Appendix 2. Pamphlet, Broadside, and Periodical Republication of Anti-Federalist Documents Index