Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution

From abortion to same-sex marriage, today's most urgent political debates will hinge on this two-part question: What did the United States Constitution originally mean and who now understands its meaning best? Rakove chronicles the Constitution from inception to ratification and, in doing so, traces its complex weave of ideology and interest, showing how this document has meant different things at different times to different groups of Americans.

• The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787
• Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787-1788
• The Radicalism of the American Revolution
• Plain, Honest Men: The Making of the American Constitution
• The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution: Fiftieth Anniversary Edition
• America's Constitution: A Biography
• The Annotated U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence
• Independence Lost: Lives on the Edge of the American Revolution
• The American Revolution: A History (Modern Library Chronicles)
• The Framers' Coup: The Making of the United States Constitution