Scholarly Review: The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787 By Gordon S. Wood

 

Critical Review of The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787. By Gordon S. Wood.

Gordon Wood’s The Creation of the American Republic studies the genesis and evolution of American Whig political thought before the American Revolution. The title is corresponding, as Gordon Wood provides a broad analysis of the early American constitutions, both state and federal. He examines the processes by which these constitutions were established and the political ideology that instilled them with meaning and purpose. On page four Wood raises the question, “If the American Revolution, lacking "those mad, tumultuous actions which disgraced many of the great revolutions of antiquity," was not a typical revolution, what kind of revolution was it?” (Wood, Page 4)

This scholarly work is presented in six parts, with the first being an introduction to the ideals of the Whig party, which produced a doctrine that was followed by the colonists. Here, Wood supports conclusions made by Bailyn's interpretation in The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution. The second section focuses on the state constitutions as epitomes of republicanism. Wood argues that the bulk of Americans thought of pure democracy as impractical and considered the Pennsylvania constitution the representation of a minority perspective. However, the prevailing principles actually favored a mixed or balanced government as significantly more advantageous than a wholly popular one. The third section defines the growth of democratic ideals from the Revolutionary era, including the reluctance to accept the idea of judicial freedom, the supremacy of the laws, conventions as expressions of popular ideas, and the conviction that the final lawmaking power stay with the people. Section Five illustrates the Constitution as a noble document meant to check the democratic currents of the period. Lastly, his last section summarizes the matured Whig philosophy of government, emphasizing their creation of a truly democratic solution to political problem.

Wood's research provides a complete account of the early American constitutions, both state and federal,. It offers a clearer understanding of Revolutionary republicanism as it existed in 1776, as well as standard themes such as representation, mixed government, and sovereignty. Wood's insight into the active and collective nature of Revolutionary political thought is noteworthy. He effectively expresses the complications of this extensive political discussion, including the opacities, the confusions, and the inconsistencies. The book reveals how these men thought and built their ideological systems, as well as the content of those systems. To this point, Wood suggests, “The Americans' blending of empiricism and rationalism, moreover, lent a permissiveness to their use of history that makes it seem to us superficial and desultory; indeed they often appear to be simply selecting from the past examples to buttress generalizations deduced by pure reason.” (Wood, page 8) His analysis offers the perspective of a historian, which is its main strength. However, there are some counterpoints to address.

            Wood discusses how the majority of information regarding people's thoughts has been derived from a small segment of the population, specifically the educated elite. The text suggests Americans “resented a substantial shift in the responsibility of government. The American legislatures, in particular the lower houses of the assemblies, were no longer to be merely adjuncts or checks to magisterial power but were in fact to be the government—a revolutionary transformation of political authority which led some Americans, like Richard Henry Lee, to observe that their new governments were ’very much of the democratic kind,’ although ‘a Governor and second branch of legislation are admitted.’" (Wood, page 35) Historians must use caution in accepting the testimony of chosen sources and their accuracy, and also in presenting findings with a conservative bias in spite of their worldview. Bias can lead to the perception of homogenous thought, where there may actually be disagreement. Another challenge presented pertains to the relationship between ideas and other historical factors, a tendency to view ideology as a precedence in historical events, and how this practice can influence the development of ideals. However, does Wood show his awareness of the influence of America's republican ideology, its logical consistency, and the impact of social and political circumstances. This book mainly takes an idealistic approach on the discussion of state constitutional debates of the 1770s. It emphasizes the social and political tensions behind the ideological developments of the 1780s but offers limited open perceptions on these issues overall. Wood provides extensive documentation on ideological matters, but then often makes overviews about the significant social unrest in this analysis.

Gordon S. Wood’s, The Creation of the American Republic, 1776–1787, offers a thorough examination of early American political ideology, highlighting how Revolutionary-era republicanism influenced the formation of both state and federal constitutions. Wood details the evolution of Whig political thought, insisting that Americans initially prioritized balanced governance over direct democracy. He stresses the ideological foundations of American constitutionalism while recognizing the rising democratic sentiment after the Revolution and the Constitution’s role in moderating these forces. While the work is praised for its intellectual depth and thorough analysis of elite political thought, it renders criticism for its fundamentalism and limited discussion of broader social and political factors. There are challenges with the research, such as reliance on influential sources and the difficulty of separating ideology from historical context, even though the book predominately tips more toward ideas than material conditions. 3 Despite these limitations, it is a valuable resource for understanding the philosophical foundation of the American republic.