"Americans widely believe that the United States Constitution was created when it was drafted in 1787 and ratified in 1788. But in a shrewd rereading of the founding era, Jonathan Gienapp upends this long-held assumption, recovering the unknown story of American constitutional c…
Introduction: Reimagining American constitutional creation -- The uncertainty of written constitutionalism -- Language and power -- The unfinished Constitution -- The sacred text -- The rules of the Constitution -- The "people's" Constitution -- The apotheosis of the fixed Const…
"Americans widely believe that the United States Constitution was almost wholly created when it was drafted in 1787 and ratified in 1788. But in a shrewd rereading of the founding era, Jonathan Gienapp upends this long-held assumption, recovering the unknown story of American co…