In 1787, the American union was in disarray. The incompatible demands of the separate states threatened its existence; some states were even in danger of turning into the kind of tyranny they had so recently deposed.
A truly national government was needed, one that could raise money, regulate commerce, and defend the states against foreign threats-without becoming as overbearing as England. So thirty-six-year-old James Madison believed. That summer, the Virginian was instrumental in organizing the Constitutional Convention, in which one of the world's greatest documents would be debated, created, and signed. Inspired by a sense of history in the making, he kept the most extensive notes of any attendee.
Now two esteemed scholars have made these minutes accessible to everyone. Presented with modern punctuation and spelling, judicious cuts, and helpful notes-plus fascinating background information on every delegate and an overview of the tumultuous times-here is the great drama of how the Constitution came to be, from the opening statements to the final votes.
This Modern Library Paperback Classic also includes an Introduction and appendices from the authors.

James Hammond Trumbull was a prolific New England antiquarian and linguist. In connection with his research into the Native languages of New England, his discovery that some of the languages were highly systematic enabled him to decipher the grammar and vocabulary from rough phonetic accounts of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Though Trumbull never saw his work published, the Bureau of American Ethnology finally produced the "Natick Dictionary" in 1903.
Since Trumbull's dictionary translates words both from Natick to English and from English to Natick, it is not only an excellent scholarly resource but also a useful learning tool for nonspecialists approaching Algonkian with only English-language skills.
Robert and Karen Madison's introduction to this edition outlines Trumbull's life and writings and also reviews the major sources Trumbull used in his research.