The Creation of American Federalism, 1765-1787

FAIN: FT-52900-04

Howard L. Lubert
James Madison University (Harrisonburg, VA 22807-0001)

This project addresses the historical, theoretical and institutional foundations of the 1787 Constitution by tracing the creation of constitutional federalism as a form of government during the years surrounding the American War of Independence. I argue that Americans began to construct a new federal alternative to traditional confederacies and unitary states in the decade prior to the Revolution. Through careful reading and interpretation of original texts I show that prior to the War Americans began to systematically identify political principles and institutional devices that would constitute the foundation for the federalism later embodied in both the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution.