A classic history of the Federal Convention at Philadelphia in 1787; the stormy; dramatic session that produced the most enduring of political documents: the Constitution of the United States.From Catherine Drinker Bowen; noted American biographer and National Book Award winner; comes the canonical account of the Constitutional Convention recommended as "required reading for every American." Looked at straight from the records; the Federal Convention is startlingly fresh and new; and Mrs. Bowen evokes it as if the reader were actually there; mingling with the delegates; hearing their arguments; witnessing a dramatic moment in history.Here is the fascinating record of the hot; sultry summer months of debate and decision when ideas clashed and tempers flared. Here is the country as it was then; described by contemporaries; by Berkshire farmers in Massachusetts; by Patrick Henry's Kentucky allies; by French and English travelers. Here; too; are the offstage voices--Thomas Jefferson and Tom Paine and John Adams from Europe. In all; fifty-five men attended; and in spite of the heat; in spite of clashing interests--the big states against the little; the slave states against the anti-slave states--in tension and anxiety that mounted week after week; they wrote out a working plan of government and put their signatures to it.
#1254651 in Books 2011-02-02Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.21 x .50 x 6.14l; .97 #File Name: 0313379467179 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Fantastic Source of InformationBy AmandaI'm writing my Thesis Paper on the Chinese Exclusion Act and this is the most well written book I've found on the subject. The index is invaluable and very well put together.I have a few books on the subject; and out of all of them this is clearly the best.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The Chronicale of 1882 Chinese Exclusion ActBy Walter W. KoThis is one of the collection of Landmarks of the American Mosaic in the racial biased Chinese Exclsuion Act of 1882. This Act only singled out a group to be discriminated against through democratic process. This book documents the complete development of Celestial brothers to Gold Mountain and their presence caused the fear and hatred by white people. They were attacked for their virtues of working ethics with a simple diet of tea and rice. Whites labeled them as "coolie" as they came under the advance ticket system as a free person. However; not all whites were anti Chinese as well documented in the book. Fifteen Republicans voted against this Act. They did their best in upholding the American truth and value especially the two judges of San Francisco; Lorenzo Sawyer and Ogden Hoffman in their commitment to the equal application of fundamental civil rights irrespective of race. Anson Burlingame led a Chinese Diplomatic Team to America and negotiated the first equal treaty after Opium War for Chinese immigration and naturalization. However; after his un-timely death; The Burlingame Treaty terms were reversed. Chinese in America did not wait and see passively. They employed lawyers to file their cases to fight in court especially by habeas corpus. The Scott Act of 1888 declared the Certificate of Return after 1882 was null and void; thus preventing twenty thousand Chinese to return after China visit and six hundred were refused entry without knowledge of this Act and invalid certificate. For the 1892 Geary Act; Chinese consuls in San Francisco with the Six Companies and other associations held fund raising to fight the demand to register for a certificate of residence. It was a fore-runner of green card. With over eleven hundred thousand Chinese around the country staged this first large scale of civil disobedience in American history.The 1905 boycott of American-made goods with twenty one Chinese cities and ethnic Chinese in Hong kong; Japan; Thailand; Singapore were in support in this economic campaign with Chinese in America. It sent a powerful signal to America; Canada; Australia and New Zealand for conspiracy in passing similar Exclusion Laws.Many times; John mentioned Angel Island Immigration Detention Center to interrogate the new comers who came to the land of free but lost it in Angel Island. This Center was in operation from 1910 to 1940 with the officers discretion on who could include or exclude upon their matching answers on "paper son". The book; Angel Island; is a good collection of Chinese poems on residence hall for posterity on their flustration; uncertainty and hope.There were some factual error in this book and it needs to be clarified. On p.82 it stated that China was still a weakend state from its loss to Japan in the 1898 Sino-Japanese War. This war was 1894. On p.89; it said civil war broke out and Chiang was defeated; retreating to an outpost in Hong Kong. However on the pages of 105 and 114; both said correctly that Chiang retreated to Taiwan. These needed to be corrected in the update version.This book is valuable; clear and concise for this racial biased dark chapter in American history. Reading and learning from history hopefully can prevent another time another group; be Moselm or undocumented immigrants be the next victim. We need to confront any bias and discrimination to make America an open; progressive and harmonious paradise unified with diversity and justice for all.
