The Birth of the Republic, 1763-89 (The Chicago History of American Civilization) (Paperback)

by Edmund S. Morgan (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
In one remarkable quarter-century, thirteen quarrelsome colonies were transformed into a nation. Edmund S. Morgan's classic account of the Revolutionary period shows how the challenge of British taxation started the Americans on a search for constitutional principles to protect their freedom and eventually led to the Revolution.

Morgan demonstrates that these principles were not abstract doctrines of political theory but grew instead out of the immediate needs and experiences of the colonists. They were held with passionate conviction, and incorporated, finally, into the constitutions of the new American states and of the United States.

Though the basic theme of the book and his assessment of what the Revolution achieved remain the same, Morgan has updated the revised edition of The Birth of the Republic (1977) to include some textual and stylistic changes as well as a substantial revision of the Bibliographic Note. Edmund S. Morgan is Sterling Professor of History emeritus at Yale University. His many books include The Gentle Puritan: A Life of Ezra Stiles; The Challenge of the American Revolution; and Inventing the People: The Rise of Popular Sovereignty in England and America.

About the Author

Edward S. Morgan is Sterling Professor of History Emeritus at Yale University and past president of the Organization of American Historians. His many books include The Puritan Family: Religion and Domestic Relations in Seventeenth-Century New England; The Gentle Puritan:  A Life of Ezra Stiles; The Puritan Dilemma: The Story of John Winthrop; American Slavery—American Freedom: The Ordeal of Colonial Virginia; The Challenge of the American Revolution; Inventing the People: The Rise of Popular Sovereignty in England and America; and, with Helen M. Morgan, The Stamp Act Crisis.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition (February 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226537579
• ISBN-13: 978-0226537573
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #25,737 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best, most readable intro to the Revolution, July 25, 2000

By	Robert James (Culver City, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Edmund Morgan remains America's most readable colonial historian after a half-century of writing. This short volume is still my favorite book about the American Revolution. Written in clear, readable prose that anyone with half-a-brain could understand and enjoy, "The Birth of the Republic" covers all the major bases from 1763 to the Constitutional Convention in 1789. Primarily a political history, readers seeking for a military history should look elsewhere. But for almost fifty years, this book has remained in print, luring readers into a deeper appreciation of our most important piece of history: when the American colonies began to separate themselves from the British Empire, deciding that one's political liberties were more sacred than loyalty to a crown. While in retrospect we can now see that there was little tyranny actually being practiced against the colonies, the fear itself of what dangerous precedent might bring remains with us today. A truly marvelous book, both for a general audience and for those with historical awareness. I first read this book as a student; now, as a history teacher, I give it to my own students with the greatest of anticipated joy: that they too will find this short book as wonderful as any they have ever read.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The basic facts of the American Revolution explained, May 18, 2002

By	Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Originally published in 1956 and revised in 1977, this book is probably familiar to a couple of generations of college students. This may well be the most accessible overview of the formative history of America. As an overview, of course, it does not go into great detail about the myriad of topics debated by historians still today, but it does hit most of the predominant features of the Revolutionary story. Morgan builds his work around the premise that the Founding Fathers did indeed operate on principle in building a new nation and that the struggle eventually framed itself as a pursuit of equality among all men. He admits that many of the decisions made by the leaders of the Revolution did equate to economic or property gains for themselves, but he argues that this is not contradictory at all with a commitment to liberty because liberty in the 18th century essentially hinged on land ownership. He also rationalizes the contradiction of slavery's continued existence being incorporated into the Constitution by arguing that the convention delegates acted out of urgent concern for the future of a government in its death throes at the hands of a powerless Congress as set up by the Articles of Confederation--without such compromise, the important new Constitution could not have been ratified by a sufficient number of states before the young nation collapsed at the feet of the British and Spanish.

Morgan first examines the increasingly rocky relationship between the English Parliament and the colonies--specifically, the debate over taxation and infringement of liberties that led up to the declaration of independence. He devotes a few pages to the war but does not delve very deeply into military matters. Morgan does an excellent job explaining why the Articles of Confederation failed and how the problems of that system were widely recognized, frankly debated, and resolved in the creation of a new national government established upon the bedrock of a new federal Constitution.

Aside from Morgan's excellent treatment of the birth of the American republic, this book also features the texts of the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and federal Constitution; a timeline of important events; and a pretty expansive discussion of source materials published before 1977. In sum, this book is ideal for anyone just wanting to learn or review the pivotal events surrounding the creation of the United States without having to sift through scholarly criticisms and debates of important yet secondary aspects of the story.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Birth of the Republic, February 27, 2000

By A Customer

Morgan's book, The Birth of the Republic, is a well-written book of a very interesting time in American History. His book uses great detail to describe this unrevealed part of history. Morgan does not just describe what was going on in these times but he tells why these events occurred. We get not only the story, but also the meaning behind the story. Through the use of Morgan's words and my own imagination I now have the understanding of why "Revolution" occurred.

Morgans book taught us about the times of the revolutionary period in American history. Morgan discussed the taxation and legislation from Parliament and the Americans loyalty to them. Morgan's book shows the challenge of British taxation and why the Americans fought to protect their freedom. He discussed the constitution and to what degree it controlled and helped heal the American society. The book illustrated a division of Americans, turning against each other and becoming an unconstrained nation to fight for the rights of individuals.

I enjoyed Morgan's book because he described the thought and reasoning of the Americans better than I had ever perceived. He used thought rather than facts to discuss the why of the revolutionary period. He supported his why with the reality of what had occurred. Morgan used great judgment in concluding what this period of American history represented. He used clearly cut issues to put meaning behind the acts of the people of this time.

Morgan only had a few flaws in my opinion. He reflected back too much on some of the past experiences. He used too many references that related to what was happening. Morgan also tended to repeat himself in making many points. All of this was not necessary in order to get his point across.

This book presents the American Revolution as a great conflict, not just of men or nations, but of ideas. It tells, not just about the battles, but about the reasons behind the battles. Morgan has done a wonderful job explaining and teaching this part of history. Anyone using this book will get a great understanding of what the American Revolution was about, and why the constitutional principles are so powerful.