Ratifying the Republic

Ratifying the Republic explains how the United States Constitution made the transition from a very divisive proposal to a consensually legitimate framework for governing. This story has never been told in its entirety, mainly because the transition seemed so seamless. But the Federalists' proposal had been bitterly opposed, and constitutional legitimation required a major transformation. The story of that transformation is the substance of this book. "Ratifying the Republic is an exquisite study of the politics of founding a viable government, of moving from 'legality to legitimacy.'...Siemers has made a major contribution to our understanding of how our political system was formed and why it perseveres today." - Charles O. Jones, University of Wisconsin at Madison and The Brookings Institution "Ratifying the Republic will become essential reading for any serious student of early American political life." - Saul Cornell, Ohio State University "[This book] is arresting history. Siemers describes the hopes and fears of the Federalists and AntiFederalists as they struggled to design and shape the Constitution. More important, he describes how these struggles produced a Constitution that no one envisioned when the process began, but that all sides soon found themselves supporting as the best defense against an uncertain future." - Cal Jillson, Southern Methodist University "Siemers deftly, cogently and incisively reconfigures and positions both Antifederalism and the history of American constitutional and political development in this provocative and readable work." - The Review of Politics "Siemers's volume is filled with interesting historiographical analysis with intriguing charts analyzing congressional votes in the first twelve years of the constitutional government." - History: Reviews of New Books