The State as a Work of Art: The Cultural Origins of the Constitution

The State as a Work of Art: The Cultural Origins of the Constitution
ISBN-10
0226761959
ISBN-13
9780226761954
Category
History
Pages
387
Language
English
Published
2009-05
Publisher
University of Chicago Press
Author
Eric Slauter

Description

The founding of the United States after the American Revolution was so deliberate and monumental in scope that the key actors considered this new government to be a work of art framed from natural rights. Recognizing the artificial nature of the state, these early politicians believed the culture of a people should inform the development of their governing rules and bodies. The author explores these central ideas in this account of the origins and meanings of the U.S. Constitution. He reveals the cultural histories upon which the document rests, highlights the voices of ordinary people, and considers how the artifice of the state was challenged in its effort to sustain inalienable natural rights alongside slavery and to achieve political secularization at a moment of growing religious expression.

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