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Novus Ordo Seclorum: The Intellectual Origins of the Constitution Paperback – December 1, 1985

by Forrest McDonald (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 100 ratings
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This is the first major interpretation of the framing of the Constitution to appear in more than two decades. Forrest McDonald, widely considered one of the foremost historians of the Constitution and of the early national period, reconstructs the intellectual world of the Founding Fathers—including their understanding of law, history political philosophy, and political economy, and their firsthand experience in public affairs—and then analyzes their behavior in the Constitutional Convention of 1787 in light of that world. No one has attempted to do so on such a scale before. McDonald's principal conclusion is that, though the Framers brought a variety of ideological and philosophical positions to bear upon their task of building a "new order of the ages," they were guided primarily by their own experience, their wisdom, and their common sense.
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  1. Print length
    376 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    University Press of Kansas
  4. Publication date
    December 1, 1985
  5. Dimensions
    5.46 x 0.79 x 8.48 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0700603115
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0700603114
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From the Publisher

A Pulitzer Prize finalist from Forrest McDonald, named a Jefferson lecturer by the NEH.
Choice magazine calls this book "The best single volue on the origins of the Constitution."
"A witty and energetic study of the ideas and passions of the Framers."—New York Times Book Review
National Review calls Forrest McDonald's book Novus Ordo Seclorum "A masterpiece."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A witty and energetic study of the ideas and passions of the Framers."—New York Times Book Review

"Bristles with wit and intellectual energy."—Christian Science Monitor

"A masterpiece. McDonald’s status as an interpreter of the Constitution is unequalled—magisterial."—National Review

"Thoroughly impressive. A book that is consistently enlightening and one that, more than any of McDonald’s previous works, stands as a monument to his remarkable talents."—William and Mary Quarterly

"As provocative as it is difficult to put down."—Georgia Historical Quarterly

"The best single volume on the origins of the Constitution."—Choice



"An important, comprehensive statement about the most fundamental period in American history. It deals authoritatively with topics no student of America can afford to ignore."—Harvey Mansfield, author of The Spirit of Liberalism

From the Back Cover

'A witty and energetic study of the ideas and passions of the Framers.' - New York Times Book Review'An important, comprehensive statement about the most fundamental period in American history. It deals authoritatively with topics no student of American can afford to ignore.' - Harvey Mansfield, author of the Spirit of Liberalism

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ University Press of Kansas
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 1, 1985
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Reprint
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 376 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0700603115
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0700603114
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.46 x 0.79 x 8.48 inches
  • Best Sellers Rank: #337,289 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 100 ratings

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Forrest McDonald

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
100 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book marvelously researched and appreciate its straight-forward readability. They describe it as thought-provoking, with one customer highlighting its examination of contending ideas and another noting its comprehensive treatment of the topic.

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DepthReadabilityThought provoking
14 customers mention "Depth"11 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the depth of the book, describing it as marvelously researched and relevant, with one customer noting it provides interesting contextual background.

"...Still an important and relevant work today." Read more

"...at the bottom of the page, not in back of the book; and they’re helpful footnotes which clarify the paragraph concerned, not just an endless trail..." Read more

"Interesting subject but the book is soooooo boring...." Read more

"Just a fantastic read, despite a bit more detail about English constitutional law than I really wanted to know...." Read more

7 customers mention "Readability"6 positive1 negative

Customers find the book readable, describing it as a straight-forward and good read.

"Good read. Thought provoking." Read more

"Just a fantastic read, despite a bit more detail about English constitutional law than I really wanted to know...." Read more

"Novus Ordo Seclorum is a very specific and academic read on the intellectual origins of the Constitution...." Read more

"...To be sure, it was a relatively quick and straight-forward read...." Read more

7 customers mention "Thought provoking"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking, with one review highlighting its examination of contending ideas and another noting its comprehensive treatment of libertarian economic theories and political doctrines.

"Good read. Thought provoking." Read more

"Dr. McDonald's, work is a classic and rich with details and evidence to support his thesis." Read more

"This book speaks volumes to the necessity of understanding the thought and politics that went into the wrting and passing of our Constitution...." Read more

"An impressive and provocative examination of the contending ideas, beliefs, and philosophies that informed the thinking of the Framers...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Lord Bowler
    5.0 out of 5 stars 5 Stars for content and depth, 3 Stars for accessibility
    Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2005
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Novus Ordo Seclorum was the book I used to teach the Constitution to international students for a US History course. I was amazed by McDonald's intense research and his comprehensive treatment on the topic. Actually he only spends the second half the book dealing with the Constitution and the Philadelphia Convention. In the first four chapters he describes the long tradition of the English constitution, as well as the prevailing ideals in republicanism and the English Opposition which had an impact later in Philadelphia. I especially liked how McDonald debunked some American myths, such as the belief that James Madison was the "father" of the US Constitution, or that Alexander Hamilton was a champion of the free market and laissez-faire economics.

    IMHO, the most interesting part of the book was Chapter 7 on the Convention itself. The reader may be astonished to find that there wasn't really a dominant voice or movement which created the Constitution that Americans have revered for 200 years. Throughout the Convention there were competing voices and interests, many long speeches and appeals which ultimately produced nothing, and a helluva lot of compromise. If you think just reading this chapter is tedious, you can only imagine the actual proceedings. James Madison wasn't kidding when he said that the document was "the work of many heads and many hands."

    It is interesting to note that even though McDonald spends half the book describing the British theories which came to America and influenced the Framers, he acknowledges that the final outcome of the Constitution and its structure had less to do with these theories than "common sense" and the Framers' prevailing interests (p. 262). One could applaud McDonald for being thorough; however this revelation somewhat diminishes the relevance of the material in the first half of the book.

    As a lecturer, I found this book to be a wonderful resource, and it definitely increased my own insight into the theories behind the document. However, the content was a bit too advanced for my undergraduate students, so I just made the last 4 chapters mandatory reading. The book would probably be best suited for an upper-division or graduate-level course.
    23 people found this helpful
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  • Michael J. etc.,etc...
    5.0 out of 5 stars How We Got Here
    Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2018
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Book Review Number Seven: year 2018
    Novus Ordo Seclorum Forrest McDonald

    This book goes deep into the foundation of the Constitution…the result was an amalgam of doctrines-political, philosophical, colloquial- like no other.
    The chronicles of the past gave them countless examples on how governments failed, but nowhere could they find a concise record of how one began.

    The laws of England, while workable in England, were found to be ill-fitted in colonial America. Unlike the geographic confinements of Britain, with the limited natural resources at their disposal, there was great abundance of land in the colonies. Trees were everywhere; restrictions on harvesting lumber were meaningless. Game was seemingly unlimited throughout the colonies; the restrictive hunting laws of England, accordingly, couldn’t be applied without creating points of friction. The evolution of the American individual thus begins its course. In time, the yeoman farmer or merchant develops a resistance to taxes and overreaching government incursions.

    The learned classes throughout the colonies thus begin to search the written record for different forms of government and theories concerning wealth distribution, taxation, representation, mercantilism and so on. A corresponding plethora of political philosophers are sought for guidance: Blackstone, Hume, Montesquieu, Adam Smith among many others; and a given philosophic direction would be abandoned once that point of view no longer served a given change of circumstances, such as John Locke’s theories prior to then after the actual war. A different people, the author points out, has emerged. (Hamilton’s contributions were somewhat unique, in that he relied heavily on the philosophy of Emmerich Vattel whose writing were not well known by the other founders. This is addressed at length in Forrest McDonald’s book on Hamilton.)

    Interesting episode on page 265, demonstrating the careful diligence to detail that was maintained. A semi-colon is substituted for a comma, evidently put there with ulterior motives by Guoverneur Morris. This minor change of punctuation would have altered the meaning of article 1, section 8 of the Constitution. (You might say ,-;=!) The legerdemain was noted and corrected by Roger Sherman. There’s also a footnote on this page, addressing the issue further.

    Speaking of footnotes, they are placed at the bottom of the page, not in back of the book; and they’re helpful footnotes which clarify the paragraph concerned, not just an endless trail of “ibids” and “see alsos.” This format is pointed out by the author in the preface.
    History lessons are encountered along the way: Shay’s Rebellion, Stamp Act, Townshend Acts and so forth.

    A captivating trip through the time machine of history, along the bricked sidewalks of old Philadelphia, through the cobblestone courtyards and vast woodlands of New England, and across the rolling hills of Virginia.

    Appendix A: delegates to the Constitutional Convention.
    Appendix B: The Constitution, less Bill of Rights.
    293 pages to appendix A. a sturdy paperback, ample room for writing notes, with an alluring cover of forest green.
    12 people found this helpful
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  • Shawn S. Sullivan
    4.0 out of 5 stars A very specific work on the philosophical origins of the Constitution
    Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2006
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Novus Ordo Seclorum is a very specific and academic read on the intellectual origins of the Constitution. Forrest McDonald, in what can only be described as a marvelously researched and specifically footnoted text, digs extraordinarily deep as he seeks out the philosophies and the readings of our framers and they sought to construct a more cohesive nation from an obviously failing and loosely assemble group of sovereign states under the Articles of Confederation. His research and range of knowledge is, at times, daunting. This is a work that is not easily read the first time and one that most, if not all, with an interest in this topic, will pull off their shelves through the years as a reference to further readings. A word of caution - this book should only be read by those who have a significant interest in a deep and academic research into this very specific topic. That said, simply wonderful historical research.
    13 people found this helpful
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