The First Congress

How James Madison, George Washington, and a Group of Extraordinary Men Invented the Government

De: Fergus M. Bordewich

Narrado por: Sean Runnette

The First Congress was the most important in US history, says prizewinning author and historian Fergus Bordewich, because it established how our government would actually function. Had it failed - as many at the time feared it would - it's possible that the United States as we know it would not exist today.

The Constitution was a broad set of principles. It was left to the members of the First Congress and President George Washington to create the machinery that would make the government work. Fortunately, James Madison, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and others less well known today rose to the occasion. During two years of often fierce political struggle, they passed the first 10 amendments to the Constitution; they resolved bitter regional rivalries to choose the site of the new national capital; they set in place the procedure for admitting new states to the union; and much more. But the First Congress also confronted some issues that remain to this day: the conflict between states' rights and the powers of national government; the proper balance between legislative and executive power; the respective roles of the federal and state judiciaries; and funding the central government.

©2016 Fergus Bordewich (P)2016 Tantor

Reseñas de la Crítica

"[T]he colorful machinations of our first Congress receive a delightful account that will keep even educated readers turning the pages." ( Kirkus)

outstanding!

I have read a lot of books on the founders including most biographies. most skim over the political making of the first congress and the arguments in forming the country at this point. it is a great find for a book to cover this area as someone who is interested in the political argument and history that went into forming the United States. I strongly recommend to those interested in the period.

What a great Story!

I really enjoyed this book. I learned so much about these men who started our country. I learned that there are no "good old days" where everyone worked together harmoniously for the common good. Work they did, and for the common good, as they each saw it, but harmoniously, no way! I loved the way the characters were described and brought to life through their quotes and the descriptions of their colleagues. Great book! Highly recommended!

Interesting and informative

I picked up this title on a whim and I am glad that I did!

In my experience, many of us today take our modern democracy as a given, but that is not the case.

The United States was a huge real life experiment. It easily could not have worked, but it did.

In all fairness, I learned a lot of this content in school, but it he author does an excellent job of revealing the information and making it feel dramatic - almost to the point where I could imagine that I didn’t know how it ended.

In summary, while not novel (at least not for me) very interesting and well written.

Story telling style of writing and a great narration to boot.

As a nonnative reader, I found it challenging to follow the chain of events in their context.

Intricate Analysis of Novel Challenges

Bordewich has written a thorough analysis of the challenges faced by the new government, for many of which there was no precedent. Many of the participants therefore looked to classical theory for guidance. One lesson from such theory was that a powerful government could be used against the people, and therefore many Americans feared a strong government. This lesson was countered by the experiences under both the Continental and Confederation Congresses, which convinced many that a strong government was needed to deal with other nations and to protect the nation from external pressures.

Much of the story of the First Congress involves reconciling the conflicts inherent in the two lessons, one looking internally and the other externally. The theoretical answer, contained in the Constitution, is the division of power. The monumental achievement of the First Congress was breathing life into our system of checks and balances.

Bordewich also makes emphasizes how much slavery was already a divisive issue--one with no apparent solution and already threatening to become the defining issue in the new nation. Because the politicians could not envision a solution, it became easier for them to ignore the issue than to address it. This of course would make the problem worse and eventually mean that only force could resolve the issue.