There are many comprehensive histories which include the period covered by the present volume, of which a few--without disparaging the other--are deserving of mention for some particular reason. David Ramsay's "History of the American Revolution," 2 vols. (1789, and subsequently reprinted), gives but little space to this particular period, but it reveals the contemporary point of view. Richard Hildreth's "History of the United States," 6 vols. (1849-1852), is another early work that is still of value, although it is written with a Federalist bias.
J. B. McMaster's "History of the People of the United States from the Revolution to the Civil War," 8 vols. (1883-1913), presents a kaleidoscopic series of pictures gathered largely from contemporary newspapers, throwing light upon, and adding color to the story. E. M. Avery's "History of the United States," of which seven volumes have been published (1904-1910), is remarkable for its illustrations and reproductions of prints, documents, and maps. Edward Channing's "History of the United States," of which four volumes have appeared (1905-1917), is the latest, most readable, and probably the best of these comprehensive histories.
Although it was subsequently published as Volume VI in a revised edition of his "History of the United States of America," George Bancroft's "History of the Formation of the Constitution," 2 vols. (1882), is really a separate work. The author appears at his best in these volumes and has never been entirely superseded by later writers. G. T. Curtis's "History of the Constitution of the United States, "2 vols. (1854), which also subsequently appeared as Volume I of his "Constitutional History of the United States," is one of the standard works, but does not retain quite the same hold that Bancroft's volumes do.
Of the special works more nearly covering the same field as the present volume, A. C. McLaughlin's "The Confederation and the Constitution" (1905), in the "American Nation," is distinctly the best. John Fiske's "Critical Period of American History" (1888), written with the clearness of presentation and charm of style which are characteristic of the author, is an interesting and readable comprehensive account. Richard Frothingham's "Rise of the Republic of the United States" (1872; 6th ed.1895), tracing the two ideas of local self-government and of union, begins with early colonial times and culminates in the Constitution.
The treaty of peace opens up the whole field of diplomatic history, which has a bibliography of its own. But E. S. Corwin's "French Policy and the American Alliance" (1916) should be mentioned as the latest and best work, although it lays more stress upon the phases indicated by the title. C. H. Van Tyne's "Loyalists in the American Revolution" (1902) remains the standard work on this subject, but special studies are appearing from time to time which are changing our point of view.
The following books on economic and industrial aspects are not for popular reading, but are rather for reference: E. R. Johnson et al., "History of the Domestic and Foreign Commerce of the United States" 2 vols. (1915); V. S. Clark, "History of the Manufactures of the United States, 1607-1860" (1916). G. S.
Callender has written short introductions to the various chapters of his "Selections from the Economic History of the United States" (1909), which are brilliant interpretations of great value. P. J. Treat's "The National Land System, 1785-1820" (1910), gives the most satisfactory account of the subject indicated by the title. Of entirely different character is Theodore Roosevelt's "Winning of the West," 4 vols. (1889-96; published subsequently in various editions), which is both scholarly and of fascinating interest on the subject of the early expansion into the West.
On the most important subject of all, the formation of the Constitution, the material ordinarily wanted can be found in Max Farrand's "Records of the Federal Convention," 3 vols. (1910), and the author has summarized the results of his studies in "The Framing of the Constitution" (1913). C. A. Beard's "An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States" (1913) gives some interesting and valuable facts regarding economic aspects of the formation of the Constitution, and particularly on the subject of investments in government securities. There is no satisfactory account of the adoption of the Constitution, but the debates in many of the State conventions are included in Jonathan Elliot's "Debates on the Federal Constitution," 5 vols.
(1836-1845, subsequently reprinted in many editions).
A few special works upon the adoption of the Constitution in the individual States may be mentioned: H. B. Grigsby's "History of the Virginia Federal Convention of 1788," Virginia Historical Society Collections, N. S., IX and X(1890-91); McMaster and Stone's "Pennsylvania and the Federal Constitution, 1787-88" (1888); S. B. Harding's "Contest over the Ratification of the Federal Constitution in the State of Massachusetts"(1896); O. G.
Libby's "The Geographical Distribution of the Vote of the Thirteen States on the Federal Constitution, 1787-1788" (University of Wisconsin, "Bulletin, Economics, Political Science, and History Series," I, No. 1,1894).
Contemporary differences of opinion upon the Constitution will be found in P. L. Ford's "Pamphlets on the Constitution," etc.
(1888). The most valuable commentary on the Constitution, "The Federalist," is to be found in several editions of which the more recent are by E. H. Scott (1895) and P. L. Ford (1898).
