The Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States. by Charles A. Beard

Essay by fermet04University, Bachelor'sA, March 2003

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Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the U.S.

The Constitution of the United States is a document that I have studied many times throughout my schooling in historical context. I never thought that the Constitution could be studied as an economic document with the reasons for its ratification being based on the economic interests of those writing it instead of the beneficial interests of the entire country. Charles A. Beard's, An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States, is a book that shows its readers the different economic interests of those who wrote the Constitution. The book can be interpreted in many ways and also applied to current events. In reading the book, I learned three things that helped me to understand the Constitution and current events in a different way. I learned the people that had something to gain from the ratification of the Constitution and why, the people who had something to lose from the ratification of the Constitution and why, and how the reasons behind the writing and ratification are similar to events that are occurring in the government and country today.

The Constitution was written after the Revolutionary war when the colonies had no money and all of the bonds that had been sold during the war would need to be paid back. These bonds needing to be repaid are one of the reasons that there were two opposing forces: one for the Constitution and the other for the Articles of Confederation. Large landowners, creditors, and those with money would be the ones to benefit the most from the ratification of the Constitution. The small, non-slave farm owners, those from New York, and debtors would be the ones against the Constitution and for the Articles of Confederation.

Those in support for the Constitution...