5811. Novus Ordo Seclorum The Intellectual Origins of the Constitution by Forrest McDonald (read 21 Nov 2022) This book, published in 1985, purports to tell the Intellectual reasonings of the authors of the Constitution, delving into their reasoning and detailing the arguments they made at the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. He sets out the arguments made by the delegates , so far as he can deduce them. The author has right-wing leanings but that does not unduly influence his account. As I read, it was my feeling that the way the Constitution ended up being adopted was better than what some delegates proposed. The early part of the book was not too interesting to me, but when it got to relating the actual arguments the book became more interesting. None of the amendments to the Constitution are discussed and as we know some of them improved the document adopted after the 1787 Convention. ( )

An excellent read, and an excellent look into the makings of the Constitution. McDonald looks into the ideologies of politics and economics of a wide range of members of the founding generation, as well as how they came together to write a practical compromise in the form of the Constitution. ( )

2/18/23