The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787

The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787 examines the political and intellectual transformation that took place in the United States between the Declaration of Independence and the adoption of the Constitution. Gordon S. Wood explores how American leaders and citizens grappled with the challenges of creating new forms of government after breaking away from British rule, tracing the evolution of ideas about sovereignty, representation, liberty, and republicanism during the nation's formative years.

Focusing on political debates, constitutional experiments, and the shifting balance between state and national authority, the book follows the development of American political thought from the Revolution through the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Wood examines how concerns about power, virtue, faction, and popular government shaped the institutions that emerged during this period, revealing the intellectual foundations of the American republic and the arguments that helped define its political system.