"The little known story of perhaps the most productive Congress in US history, the First Federal Congress of 1789-1791. 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...

"Does George Washington still matter? The bestselling author argues for his unique contribution to the forging of America by retracing his journey as a new President through the former colonies, now an unsure nation. A new first-person voice for Philbrick, weaving history and personal reflection into one narrative. When George Washington became president in 1798, the United States of America was still a loose and quarrelsome confederation and a tentative...

The author of The Whiskey Rebellion "dig[s] beneath history's surface and note[s] both the populist and anti-populist dimensions of the nation's founding" (Library Journal).
Recent movements such as the Tea Party and anti-tax "constitutional conservatism" lay claim to the finance and taxation ideas of America's founders, but how much do we really know about the dramatic clashes over finance and economics that marked the founding...

The Journal of William Maclay, a diary written by Maclay as a daily private record of Senate proceedings, was intended for personal reference. It was quite common for senators at that time to take notes of the various debates occurring in the Senate Chamber, especially given the importance of the First Congress and its role in selecting the location of the capital, the creation of the federal judicial system, and many other matters crucial in the...

Follows Washington's journey to each of the original thirteen states, during which he brought the government to the people and promoted the idea of a strong federal union.

"A spellbinding history of the epic rivalry that shaped our republic: Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and their competing visions for America ... The decade of the 1790s has been called the 'age of passion.' Fervor ran high as rival factions battled over the course of the new republic-- each side convinced that the other's goals would betray the legacy of the Revolution so recently fought and so dearly won. All understood as well that what was...

A group portrait of America's first President and the men who served with him to create the office shares insights into their personalities and the consequences of Washington's decision to heed or disregard specific advice.

" Although the framers gave the president little authority, George Washington knew whatever he did would set precedents for generations of future leaders. To ensure their ability to defend the nation, he simply ignored the Constitution when he thought it necessary. In a revealing new look at the birth of American government, "Mr. President" describes Washington's presidency in a time of continual crisis, as rebellion and attacks by foreign enemies...