The Birth of the Republic, 1763-89 (Chicago History of American Civilization) - Softcover

From the back: In 1765 John Dickinson of Philadelphia thought that American independence from Great Britain would bring a "multitude of Commonwealths, Crimes and Calamities. Centuries of Mutual Jealousies, Hatreds, Wars of Depression" 24 years later he saw the US adopt its present constitution which he had helped draft, Here are the events of that remarkable quarter-century which transformed 13 quarrelsome colonies into a nation. Edmund S. Morgan's account of the Revolutionary period shows how the challenge of British taxation started the Americans on a search for constitutional principles to protect their freedom." by 0226537595