We the people : a history of the U.S. Constitution Cover Image

Book

We the people : a history of the U.S. Constitution / Jill Lepore.

Lepore, Jill, 1966- (author.).

Summary:

The U.S. Constitution is among the oldest constitutions in the world--and one of the most difficult to amend. At what cost? In this landmark, lavishly illustrated book, Harvard professor of history and law Jill Lepore argues that the philosophy of amendment is foundational to American constitutionalism. Challenging both originalism and the Supreme Court's monopoly on constitutional interpretation, Lepore argues that the framers never intended for the Constitution to be kept, like a butterfly, under glass, but instead expected that future generations would be forever tinkering with it, improving the machinery of government. In an account as radical as Charles Beard's An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States, Lepore offers a sweeping, lyrical, and democratic constitutional history, telling the stories of generations of Americans who have attempted everything from abolishing the Electoral College to guaranteeing environmental rights, hoping to mend America by amending its constitution.

Record details

ISBN: 9781631496080
ISBN: 1631496085
Physical Description: xii, 702 pages : illustrations, portraits, charts, facsimiles ; 24 cm
Edition: First edition.
Publisher: New York, NY : Liveright Publishing Corporation, a division of W. W. Norton & Company, [2025]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

Introduction: The philosophy of amendment -- Part One. The invention of the Constitution, 1774-1791. -- The constitution of a clock -- All men would be tyrants -- Every gentleman may propose amendments -- Part Two. The contest over interpretation, 1803-1896. -- Let us examine the word white -- The whole rebellion is beyond the Constitution -- No amendment is necessary -- We began this quilt -- Part Three. The pattern of amendment, 1905-1959. 8. Mr. Constitution -- Miss Bolsheviki -- The lost amendment -- Part Four. The end of amendment, 1961-2016. -- The subcommittee on constitutional amendments -- A bill of rights for women -- The Constitution is dead! -- Epilogue. The future of constitutionalism.