My series of videos on the Critical Period, spanning 1780-1789. Much of the content here is elaborated upon in greater depth in my book, Compact of the Republic: The League of States and the Constitution.
The Continental Congress:
Much acclaim is given to the Continental Congress, which was populated by many of the eminent figures of the founding era. However, the body was unprecedented, extralegal, and virtually powerless. In this video, I explain why.
Best books on this topic:
-Murray Rothbard, Conceived in Liberty
-Clinton Rossiter, Seedtime of the Republic
-Gordon Wood, Creation of the American Republic
The Bank of North America
While Alexander Hamilton’s national bank is often considered the first of its kind in the United States, a precursor was actually established a decade earlier. Though short-lived, the Bank of North America was a defining institution of the Critical Period. In this episode, I explain.
Best books on this topic:
-Charles Rappleye, Robert Morris: Financier of the American Revolution
-Murray Rothbard, Conceived in Liberty
-Murray Rothbard, A History of Money and Banking in the United States
The Articles of Confederation:
By the Constitution, most Americans think of the existing document, which is actually the second constitution of the United States. Even though it receives little attention today, the Articles of Confederation was the first. In this video, I explain.
Best books on this topic:
-William Watkins, Crossroads for Liberty: Recovering the Anti-Federalist Values of America’s First Constitution
-Merrill Jensen, The Articles of Confederation: An Interpretation of the Social-Constitutional History of the American Revolution
-Murray Rothbard, Conceived in Liberty
-Gordon Wood, Creation of the American Republic
The Newburgh Conspiracy
In an overlooked episode from the American War for Independence, rumors in the Continental Army implied a possible coup against the Confederation Congress. In the end, tensions were quelled only after an emotional appeal to republicanism and moderation. In this episode, I explain.
Best books on this topic:
-Thomas Fleming, The Perils of Peace: America’s Struggle for Survival after Yorktown
-David Richards, Swords in Their Hands: George Washington and the Newburgh Conspiracy
-Murray Rothbard, Conceived in Liberty
Shays’ Rebellion:
In 1786, a group of veterans from the War for Independence challenged the republican government of Massachusetts over harsh taxation and the lack of debt relief. To many, Shays’ Rebellion necessitated the grant of additional power to Congress…but did it really? In this video, I explain.
Best books on this topic:
-David Szatmary, Shays’ Rebellion: The Making of an Agrarian Insurrection
-Leonard Richards, Shays’ Rebellion: The American Revolution’s Final Battle
-Gordon Wood, Creation of the American Republic
-Douglass Southall Freeman, Washington
The Annapolis Convention of 1786:
Even though some allege that the Articles of Confederation was an unpopular framework that invited universal criticism, the Annapolis Convention of 1786 proved that not everyone was ready to radically alter the Confederation system. In this video, I explain.
Most of the content in this section is elaborated upon in greater length and with additional context in Compact of the Republic: The League of States and the Constitution.
Other recommended readings:
-Gordon Wood, Creation of the American Republic
-Forrest McDonald, E Pluribus Unum
-Nathan Coleman, The American Revolution, State Sovereignty, and the American Constitutional Settlement
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787:
In 1787, a series of long-lasting territorial disputes between states culminated in a new set of guidelines for a vast swath of North American land. In the process, the debates over the Northwest Territory brought slavery to the forefront of national political discussion for the first time. In this video, I explain.
Best books on this topic:
-Frederick Williams, The Northwest Ordinance: Essays on its Formulation, Provisions, and Legacy
-Peter Onuf, Statehood and Union: A History of the Northwest Ordinance
-Gordon Wood, Creation of the American Republic
-Nathan Coleman, The American Revolution, State Sovereignty, and the American Constitutional Settlement