The Other Founders - (Published by the Omohundro Institute of Early American Histo) by Saul Cornell (Paperback)

About the Book

Other Founders: Anti-Federalism and the Dissenting Tradition in America, 1788-1828

Book Synopsis

Fear of centralized authority is deeply rooted in American history. The struggle over the U.S. Constitution in 1788 pitted the Federalists, supporters of a stronger central government, against the Anti-Federalists, the champions of a more localist vision of politics. But, argues Saul Cornell, while the Federalists may have won the battle over ratification, it is the ideas of the Anti-Federalists that continue to define the soul of American politics.

While no Anti-Federalist party emerged after ratification, Anti-Federalism continued to help define the limits of legitimate dissent within the American constitutional tradition for decades. Anti-Federalist ideas also exerted an important influence on Jeffersonianism and Jacksonianism. Exploring the full range of Anti-Federalist thought, Cornell illustrates its continuing relevance in the politics of the early Republic.

A new look at the Anti-Federalists is particularly timely given the recent revival of interest in this once neglected group, notes Cornell. Now widely reprinted, Anti-Federalist writings are increasingly quoted by legal scholars and cited in Supreme Court decisions -- clear proof that their authors are now counted among the ranks of America's founders.

Review Quotes

"[A] careful and subtle analysis. . . . [with] a provocative epilogue." -- Journal of the Early Republic

"[A] tightly argued volume. . . . Anybody interested in early and modern American politics will enjoy reading this well-written and nuanced study." -- Virginia Quarterly Review

"A fine piece of work. Cornell's research is prodigious, his analysis is judicious, and his thesis is persuasive." -- American Historical Review

"A magisterial work. . . . Anyone wishing to understand the meaning and significance of Anti-Federalist writings will have to consult The Other Founders." -- Rhetoric & Public Affairs

"All historians of the early republic are in [Cornell's] debt, and they will henceforth turn to The Other Founders as the essential starting point for work on the specific ideas of those who opposed the federal Constitution." -- Journal of Southern History

"All scholarly communities concerned with the Constitution's origins -- historians, political scientists, and legal scholars -- will find much to ponder in this fine book. . . . [W]ritten with grace and verve, The Other Founders is a pleasure to read." -- Journal of American History

"An extremely well-researched and well-written work." -- Journal of American Studies

"Cogently demonstrates the significance of Anti-Federalism to early Republican political thought. This book will become a standard work on the Anti-Federalists and greatly enhances understanding of state's rights thought in the period." -- CHOICE

"The story is by no means simple, but Cornell tells it well in clear and straightforward prose. . . . The result is rewarding: a book that is both good history and good theory, and a treatment of Anti-Federalist thought that is more historically nuanced and more theoretically sophisticated than any we have had before." -- William and Mary Quarterly

"This book is profound, persuasive, and a much-needed taxonomy of Anti-Federalism. . . . This highly readable, comprehensive, and original work deserves to be placed alongside The Federalist Papers on Americans' bookshelves." -- The Historian