Decision in Philadelphia: The Constitutional Convention of 1787

A remarkable, readable, and thoroughly authoritative account of a landmark event in American history: the creation of the Constitution. This edition includes the complete copy of the U.S. Constitution.

“A bold, fast-paced narrative . . . that will appeal to a variety of audiences.”—The New York Times Book Review

“A fact-filled account of the period that manages, much like the play 1776, to bring alive figures from old oil paintings.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer

At the end of the American Revolution, Americans were sure that they were a special people with a special role in history.

But it had all gone wrong. Harassed by foreign nations it could not defend itself against, beset by international conflicts no one seemed able to resolve, staggering under enormous debt, the United States was on the verge of dissolution. And so, in 1787, fifty-five men met in Philadelphia to create a document that has since become the cornerstone of our society and democracy—the Constitution.

In Decision in Philadelphia, eighteenth-century America comes alive, and the very human qualities of the men who framed the document are brought provocatively into focus. Here, find the awe-inspiring George Washington, the reticent James Madison, the perverse Alexander Hamilton, and many lesser known but pivotal figures.

A celebration of how and why our Constitution came into being, Decision in Philadelphia is also a testament to the American spirit at its finest.