Product Description

Two series of letters described as 'the wellsprings of nearly all ensuing debate on the limits of governmental power in the United States' address the whole remarkable range of issues provoked by the crisis of British policies in North America out of which a new nation emerged from an overreaching empire.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3288584 in Books
• Published on: 1999-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 190 pages

About the Author
Forrest McDonald, Editor

Customer Reviews

Firsthand glimpse into the birth of the US
This book provides a firsthand look back at two crucial events in the forming of the United States: American's response to and reasons for fighting against taxation by the British, and arguments about the Constitution.

In the first half, Letters from a Famer in Pennsylvania, John Dickinson takes great care to explain why Americans should oppose all taxes that the British impose merely to raise money, namely the Townshend Acts. Dickinson expresses his concern over precendents being set, and draws heavily on the previous American refusal to pay the Stamp Act. This section was fairly interesting in that it helped explain some of the reasons Americans didn't want to pay British taxes, but it did become fairly repetitve throughout the letters.

In the second half, Letters from the Federal Farmer, Richard Henry Lee puts forth his arguments about the Constitution before it was ratified by the states. Arguments included why state governments should wield more power than the federal government, whether a bill of rights should be included in the Constitution, and why too much power was located in the federal government outlined in the Constitution.

All in all, the book was a fairly difficult read that was boring at times, but it did provide an interesting look into the opinions that shaped the US.