Politicians and ordinary citizens alike argue over the U.S. Constitution--what it says, what it means and why it was written--and misconceptions based on confused or incomplete histories of its creation and purposes abound. In Constitutional Myths, historian Ray Raphael (A People's History of the American Revolution) tackles eight of today's most widespread misunderstandings, with a lucid and careful explanation of history that separates truth from myth.
Take, for instance, the argument that the framers of the Constitution feared a large, powerful federal government and sought to prevent one at all costs. Raphael delves into the country's pre-constitutional history, including the records of the Continental Congress, to show that the Constitution's drafters were not interested in taking power away from the federal government. Instead, he explains, their goal was to provide the United States with enough power to establish it as a legitimate player in world politics and economics--including the power to levy federal taxes.
Where the historical record is clear, Raphael points out the facts; where it is murky or nonexistent, he posits plausible explanations to fill the gaps without insisting on their veracity. Throughout its pages, Constitutional Myths remains focused and easily readable, providing an illuminating look at early U.S. history while clarifying some of our most fundamental political arguments. --Dani Alexis Ryskamp, blogger at The Book Cricket