The Emergence of One American Nation

The Revolution, the Founders, and the Constitution

Donald J Fraser

• Publisher: Fraser & Associates
• ISBN:
  9780997080513
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Early American History
• Index: History

Divisiveness is the hallmark of American politics today. Red state versus blue; liberal versus conservative; secular versus religious; the list goes on. Sometimes it seems we are no longer one nation, but in fact we are. Division and argument have always been a part of the American scene, no more so than at our founding.

In the Emergence of One American Nation, Donald J. Fraser explores the difficulties that the founding generation confronted in molding the United States into one nation. At the heart of that endeavor was the effort to create and ratify a new Constitution for the country, one to replace the failed Articles of Confederation. Fraser not only explains the American leaders' process of constitution making, but places it clearly in the context of the separation from Great Britain, the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, and fighting the Revolutionary War.

Fraser's work not only tells of the events that led to the creation of one American nation, but also includes engaging portraits of the individuals who helped bring about the revolution and the new political order under the Constitution, including Franklin, Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, and a host of lesser known but interesting characters.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• CHAPTER 1 The Colonial Era / 1607 to 1750
• CHAPTER 2 The Roots of a Nation / 1753 to 1774
• CHAPTER 3 The Beginning of War and the Move Towards Independence / 1775 to 1776
• CHAPTER 4 The Declaration of Independence: The American Creed / 1776
• CHAPTER 5 The Failure of the First American Government / 1776 to 1783
• CHAPTER 6 The Postwar Years / 1783 to 1787
• CHAPTER 7 The Delegates Gather: The Virginia Plan Unveiled / May 3 to June 5, 1787
• CHAPTER 8 Conflicts and Compromises / June 6 to July 16, 1787
• CHAPTER 9 We the People / July 17, 1787 to September 17, 1787
• CHAPTER 10 The Public Debate Over Ratification / Fall 1787 to Spring 1788
• CHAPTER 11 The State Conventions / September 1787 to July 1789
• CHAPTER 12 The Bill of Rights / July 1789 to December 1791
• Epilogue: The Ongoing American Debate