The Critical Period of American History

Peace with Britain left the American states facing a difficult political problem: how to turn wartime cooperation into a workable union. John Fiske follows the years 1783 to 1789, connecting the settlement of the Revolutionary War with the adoption of the Federal Constitution. His account grew out of lectures and presents events through their causes and consequences, with attention to diplomacy, state institutions and the weaknesses of the Confederation.

The discussion moves from treaty negotiations and Washington's departure from military command to disputes over revenue, trade and public authority. Fiske also treats western lands as a practical force drawing the states together through a shared national domain. Readers interested in the making of American government will find an account that ties constitutional change to immediate pressures, including unrest in Massachusetts and conflicting claims to territory beyond the Alleghanies.