Ratifying the Republic

David J. Siemers is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

• 1. Consensus, Dissensus, and Interpretation: How the Antifederalists and Federalists Have Unwittingly Misled Us 2. "It Is Natural to Care for the Crazy Machine": The Antifederalists' Postratification Acquiescence 25 3. Refuge of the Resigned: The Postratification Constitutional Thought of Congressional Antifederalists 47 4. Publius in Constitutional Time: A Partnership in Search of Incompatible Equilibria 74 5. The Unbearable Transience of Federalist #o0 I05 6. Continuity and Change in the Transition to Partisanship, I789-I80o I35 7. The Founding Generation and Political Process: Structural Arrangements in the Early Congress 64 8. The Antifederalists: Ironic Legitimators of the American Regime 193 APPENDIXES A. Ratification Chronology 223 B. Members of the U.S. Congress Who Voted in Ratification Conventions 225

"Ratifying the Republic is an exquisite study of the politics of founding a viable government, of moving from 'legality to legitimacy.' This meticulously researched study relies on a combination of textual analysis, detailed review of debates and personal papers, and careful examination of roll call votes. Siemers has made a major contribution to our understanding of how our political system was formed and why it perseveres today, no small achievement for a young scholar."—Charles O. Jones, University of Wisconsin at Madison and The Brookings Institution "David Siemers's important new book illuminates the complex processes that helped the new Federal Constitution achieve legitimacy so quickly after its adoption. This book also settles the question of what actually happened to Anti-Federalists after ratification. The author makes a compelling case that Anti-Federalism was essential to the creation of a loyal opposition tradition within American political and constitutional life. Ratifying the Republic will become essential reading for any serious student of early American political life."—Saul Cornell, Ohio State University "David Siemers's Ratifying the Republic is arresting history. Siemers describes the hopes and fears of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists as they struggled to design and shape the Constitution. More important, he describes how these struggles produced a Constitution that no one envisioned when the process began, but that all sides soon found themselves supporting as the best defense against an uncertain future."—Cal Jillson, Southern Methodist University "Siemers's volume is filled with interesting historiographical analysis with intriguing charts analyzing congressional votes in the first twelve years of the constitutional government . . . .Siemers has amassed a great deal of information and has made a contribution to our understanding of early party formation."—History: Reviews of New Books "Simply put, this is a book that should be read and debated by political scientists, theorists, and historians alike." The Review of Politics "...Siemer's Ratifying the Republic is well worth reading. It has an energy that is admirable and a willingness to open up old questions from fresh perspectives."—The New England Quarterly