Customer Reviews

Abraham Baldwin: Patriot, Educator, and Founding Father

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a very readable presentation of the life of Abraham Baldwin of CT and later of GA. Professor Coulter's research is impressive detailing the life of what has become common to call by cliché, a "Forgotten Founder".

Mr. Baldwin is presented as a well educated founder who's contribution was infrequently singular - more often as part of committee or in conjunction with others. (Mr. Baldwin addressed the Constitutional Convention only eight times, but was selected for service on four important committees. By comparison, the irascible Elbrige Gery of MA spoke 119 times but was selected for only one committee.)

The publication date of 1987 reflects an era just prior to the need of authors to "spin" a biography to suit a political philosophy, and so is very even-handed in tone. If the writing has a negative, it is that the author reverts to a chronological "laundry list" of Mr. Baldwin's accomplishments in the period following the ratification of the Constitution. Even with this minor style impediment, the content of Mr. Baldwin's participation and contribution in post-Constitution politics is presented impressively. As a very amateur "student" of the 88 days of the Constitutional Convention, I was particularly happy with the 26 pages Professor Coulter devoted to that topic. Each new perspective, by Delegate and Biographer fills that picture more objectively and vividly.

I completely recommend this, now out of print, book to anyone interested in Abraham Baldwin, or early CT or GA history of the period, and certainly to those interested in the framing of the Constitution.