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In the context of English speaking culture,what are the main lines of historical, political,economic and cultural transformationthrough which individuals have affirmedthemselves as individual moral and politicalactors?How did political institutions come to berepresentative and democratic?How did the republican constitutionalconcept develop? What are its mainingredients?
THECREATION
OF THEAMERICANREPUBLIC1776-1787
by GORDON S. WOOD
1776
THE AMERICAN COLONIESADOPTED THE DECLARATION
OF INDEPENDENCE
ALL MEN ARE CREATEDEQUAL
1787
THE UNITED STATESCONSTITUTION WAS ADOPTED
“We the people of the United States, inorder to form a more perfect union,establish Justice, ensure domestic
Tranquillity, provide for the commondefence, promote the general Welfare,and secure the Blessings of Liberty toourselves and our Posterity, do ordainand establish this Constitution of the
United States of America”
The American Constitution isa compact between people
The Sovereignty of the People
Representation: a keyconception in the American
political system
America: a representativedemocracy
A revolution in the history ofpolitics: the rulers are the
ruled and the ruled are therulers
A new idea of people
An institutionalized revolution
The American system ofgovernment
