The First Congress : how James Madison, George Washington, and a group of extraordinary men invented the government / Fergus M. Bordewich.
"The little known story of perhaps the most productive Congress in US history, the First Federal Congress of 1789-1791. The First Congress was the most important in US history, says prizewinning author and historian Fergus Bordewich, because it established how our government would actually function. Had it failed--as many at the time feared it would--it's possible that the United States as we know it would not exist today. The Constitution was a broad set of principles. It was left to the members of the First Congress and President George Washington to create the machinery that would make the government work. Fortunately, James Madison, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and others less well known today, rose to the occasion. During two years of often fierce political struggle, they passed the first ten amendments to the Constitution; they resolved bitter regional rivalries to choose the site of the new national capital; they set in place the procedure for admitting new states to the union; and much more. But the First Congress also confronted some issues that remain to this day: the conflict between states' rights and the powers of national government; the proper balance between legislative and executive power; the respective roles of the federal and state judiciaries; and funding the central government. Other issues, such as slavery, would fester for decades before being resolved. The First Congress tells the dramatic story of the two remarkable years when Washington, Madison, and their dedicated colleagues struggled to successfully create our government, an achievement that has lasted to the present day."--Publisher website.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781451691931
- ISBN: 1451691939
- Physical Description: xv, 396 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
- Edition: First Simon & Schuster edition
- Publisher: New York : Simon & Schuster, 2016.
Content descriptions
- Bibliography, etc. Note:
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 369-377) and index.
- Formatted Contents Note:
- Preface: Nebuchadnezzar's monster -- An ocean always turbulent -- The fostering hand of government -- A new era -- Pomp and quiddling -- A very perplexing business -- A great and delicate subject -- Vile politics -- Propositions of a doubtful nature -- Paper guarantees -- A centre without parallel -- Interlude I -- The labyrinth of finance -- A gross national iniquity -- The trumpet of sedition -- Cabals, meetings, plots & counterplots -- A southern position -- Indians -- Interlude II -- Freedom's favorite seat -- A most mischievous engine -- Epilogue: American dawn.
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Available copies
- 9 of 9 copies available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at McDowell County Public Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 9 total copies.
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| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion Library | 327.7309 BOR (Text) | 37810435472716 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
Accessibility Features
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| 245 | 1 | 4. | ‡aThe First Congress : ‡bhow James Madison, George Washington, and a group of extraordinary men invented the government / ‡cFergus M. Bordewich. |
| 250 | . | ‡aFirst Simon & Schuster edition | |
| 264 | 1. | ‡aNew York : ‡bSimon & Schuster, ‡c2016. | |
| 300 | . | ‡axv, 396 pages : ‡billustrations ; ‡c25 cm | |
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| 504 | . | ‡aIncludes bibliographical references (pages 369-377) and index. | |
| 505 | 0 | . | ‡aPreface: Nebuchadnezzar's monster -- An ocean always turbulent -- The fostering hand of government -- A new era -- Pomp and quiddling -- A very perplexing business -- A great and delicate subject -- Vile politics -- Propositions of a doubtful nature -- Paper guarantees -- A centre without parallel -- Interlude I -- The labyrinth of finance -- A gross national iniquity -- The trumpet of sedition -- Cabals, meetings, plots & counterplots -- A southern position -- Indians -- Interlude II -- Freedom's favorite seat -- A most mischievous engine -- Epilogue: American dawn. |
| 520 | . | ‡a"The little known story of perhaps the most productive Congress in US history, the First Federal Congress of 1789-1791. The First Congress was the most important in US history, says prizewinning author and historian Fergus Bordewich, because it established how our government would actually function. Had it failed--as many at the time feared it would--it's possible that the United States as we know it would not exist today. The Constitution was a broad set of principles. It was left to the members of the First Congress and President George Washington to create the machinery that would make the government work. Fortunately, James Madison, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and others less well known today, rose to the occasion. During two years of often fierce political struggle, they passed the first ten amendments to the Constitution; they resolved bitter regional rivalries to choose the site of the new national capital; they set in place the procedure for admitting new states to the union; and much more. But the First Congress also confronted some issues that remain to this day: the conflict between states' rights and the powers of national government; the proper balance between legislative and executive power; the respective roles of the federal and state judiciaries; and funding the central government. Other issues, such as slavery, would fester for decades before being resolved. The First Congress tells the dramatic story of the two remarkable years when Washington, Madison, and their dedicated colleagues struggled to successfully create our government, an achievement that has lasted to the present day."--Publisher website. | |
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