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A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America: Volume I Paperback – July 30, 2015

by John Adams (Author), Will Butts (Editor)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 20 ratings
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Available for the first time in a modern and readable edition!

Preceding The Federalist by several years, this first volume of John Adams' A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America is a profound work of political and governmental theory.

What prompted Adams to write such a remarkable treatise was a letter, a letter exchanged between a French statesman and a Welsh philosopher, between Anne-Robert-Jacques Turgot and Dr. Richard Price. In his letter, Turgot criticized the constitutions of government that several of the American states had adopted since their separation from Great Britain. In Turgot's view, their governments too much resembled the British government, with its king, lords and commons. Turgot advocated a much simpler form of government, a government as democratic as possible, consisting of a single assembly of representatives.

Meanwhile, in America, the Congress established under the Articles of Confederation (a single assembly with little check or balance) was failing as the national government of the United States. And to address the institutional failures of this single-assembly "government," the several states had appointed delegates to meet in convention at Philadelphia, to devise "a more perfect union."

Thus, Adams' Defence, published in three volumes beginning in early 1787, could not have been more timely, for in addition to a vigorous defense of the several American constitutions, Adams also provided the Philadelphia delegates with a much-needed reference manual on republican governments.

Inspired by events in Europe and influencing events in America, Adams' extensive work is a partial history of man's eternal struggle to control power, and can serve for all time as a guidebook on the means to keep a people free.

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  1. Print length
    412 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Liberty's Lamp Books
  4. Publication date
    July 30, 2015
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.92 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0991117549
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0991117543
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Liberty's Lamp Books (July 30, 2015)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 412 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0991117549
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0991117543
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.37 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.92 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 20 ratings

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
20 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

William Bilyeu
5.0 out of 5 stars It is an excellent book and John Adams is fun to read
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2016
Verified Purchase
I bought this for historic research. It is an excellent book and John Adams is fun to read. I have parts of volume one and volume three in another book, I wanted to read the complete work, so I ordered all three volumes. I just finished this and enjoyed it. Hope the others are as good. This and the other volumes influenced the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
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