The First Congress
How James Madison, George Washington, and a Group of Extraordinary Men Invented the Government
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Narrated by:
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Sean Runnette
About this listen
The First Congress was the most important in US history, says prizewinning author and historian Fergus Bordewich, because it established how our government would actually function. Had it failed - as many at the time feared it would - it's possible that the United States as we know it would not exist today.
The Constitution was a broad set of principles. It was left to the members of the First Congress and President George Washington to create the machinery that would make the government work. Fortunately, James Madison, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and others less well known today rose to the occasion. During two years of often fierce political struggle, they passed the first 10 amendments to the Constitution; they resolved bitter regional rivalries to choose the site of the new national capital; they set in place the procedure for admitting new states to the union; and much more. But the First Congress also confronted some issues that remain to this day: the conflict between states' rights and the powers of national government; the proper balance between legislative and executive power; the respective roles of the federal and state judiciaries; and funding the central government.
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Born in 1736, Patrick Henry was an attorney and a planter and an outstanding orator in the movement for independence. A contemporary of Washington, Henry stood with John and Samuel Adams among the leaders of the colonial resistance to Great Britain that ultimately created the United States. The first governor of Virginia after independence, he was reelected several times. After declining to attend the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Henry opposed the Constitution, arguing that it granted too much power to the central government.
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Long awaited biography of Patrick Henry
- By GallowsJudge on 11-18-17
By: Jon Kukla
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The Return of George Washington: 1783-1789
- By: Edward Larson
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Although Washington is often overlooked in most accounts of the period, this masterful new history from Pulitzer Prize winner Edward J. Larson brilliantly uncovers Washington's vital role in shaping the Convention - and shows how it was only with Washington’s support and his willingness to serve as President that the states were brought together and ratified the Constitution, thereby saving the country.
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A readable history
- By Jean on 10-21-14
By: Edward Larson
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Fateful Lightning
- A New History of the Civil War and Reconstruction
- By: Allen C. Guelzo
- Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
- Length: 26 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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In Fateful Lightning, two-time Lincoln Prize-winning historian Allen C. Guelzo offers a marvelous portrait of the Civil War and its era, covering not only the major figures and epic battles, but also politics, religion, gender, race, diplomacy, and technology. He examines the strategy, the tactics, and the logistics of the Civil War and brings the most recent historical thinking to bear on emancipation, the presidency and the war powers, the blockade and international law, and the role of intellectuals, North and South.
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The worst part of this book is it's title
- By Rodney on 11-19-13
By: Allen C. Guelzo
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Alexander Hamilton
- By: Ron Chernow
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 35 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Historians have long told the story of America’s birth as the triumph of Jefferson’s democratic ideals over the aristocratic intentions of Hamilton. Chernow presents an entirely different man, whose legendary ambitions were motivated not merely by self-interest but by passionate patriotism and a stubborn will to build the foundations of American prosperity and power.
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An Outstanding & Riveting Book!
- By Kevin on 03-04-05
By: Ron Chernow
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Apostles of Revolution
- Jefferson, Paine, Monroe, and the Struggle Against the Old Order in America and Europe
- By: John Ferling
- Narrated by: Noah Michael Levine
- Length: 18 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine and James Monroe were in the vanguard of revolutionary ideas in the 18th century. As founding fathers, they risked their lives for American independence, but they also wanted more. Each wished for profound changes in the political and social fabric of pre-1776 America and hoped that the American Revolution would spark republican and egalitarian revolutions throughout Europe, sweeping away the old aristocratic order. Ultimately, each rejoiced at the opportunity to be a part of the French Revolution, a cause that became increasingly untenable as idealism gave way to the bloody terror.
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A bit of a challenging listen but well worth it
- By J. Parks on 09-20-21
By: John Ferling
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The Making of America: Volume 1
- Alexander Hamilton, Andrew Jackson, and Abraham Lincoln
- By: Teri Kanefield
- Narrated by: Pete Cross
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Unlike other biographies, the Making of America series goes beyond individual narratives linking influential figures to create an overarching story of America's growth that will deepen understanding of the country we live in today. This bundle featuring Alexander Hamilton, Abraham Lincoln, and Andrew Jackson tells the story of American constitutional history from the founding of the nation through the end of the Civil War.
By: Teri Kanefield
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James Madison
- By: Richard Brookhiser
- Narrated by: Norman Dietz
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Eminent historian Richard Brookhiser presents a vivid portrait of James Madison, the “Father of the Constitution” and one of America's greatest statesmen.
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OK book but not a biography
- By Joel Mayer on 08-05-12
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Jacksonland
- President Andrew Jackson, Cherokee Chief John Ross, and a Great American Land Grab
- By: Steve Inskeep
- Narrated by: Steve Inskeep
- Length: 11 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Jacksonland is the thrilling narrative history of two men - President Andrew Jackson and Cherokee chief John Ross - who led their respective nations at a crossroads of American history. Five decades after the Revolutionary War, the United States approached a constitutional crisis. At its center stood two former military comrades locked in a struggle that tested the boundaries of our fledgling democracy. Jacksonland is their story.
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Fantastic and Thoughtful
- By Elizabeth Westbrook on 05-05-16
By: Steve Inskeep
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Madness Rules the Hour
- Charleston, 1860, and the Mania for War
- By: Paul Starobin
- Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell
- Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1860, Charleston, South Carolina, embodied the combustible spirit of the South. No city was more fervently attached to slavery, and no city was seen by the North as a greater threat to the bonds barely holding together the Union. And so, with Abraham Lincoln's election looming, Charleston's leaders faced a climactic decision: They could submit to abolition - or they could drive South Carolina out of the Union and hope that the rest of the South would follow.
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Madness Rules The Hour ...once more
- By Anonymous User on 05-06-21
By: Paul Starobin
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A Complex, Compelling Story Clearly Told
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What listeners say about The First Congress
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Garshom L. Arkoff
- 03-21-23
Interesting and informative
I picked up this title on a whim and I am glad that I did!
In my experience, many of us today take our modern democracy as a given, but that is not the case.
The United States was a huge real life experiment. It easily could not have worked, but it did.
In all fairness, I learned a lot of this content in school, but it he author does an excellent job of revealing the information and making it feel dramatic - almost to the point where I could imagine that I didn’t know how it ended.
In summary, while not novel (at least not for me) very interesting and well written.
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- Richard
- 05-23-18
What a great Story!
I really enjoyed this book. I learned so much about these men who started our country. I learned that there are no "good old days" where everyone worked together harmoniously for the common good. Work they did, and for the common good, as they each saw it, but harmoniously, no way! I loved the way the characters were described and brought to life through their quotes and the descriptions of their colleagues. Great book! Highly recommended!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Roger
- 12-26-17
Intricate Analysis of Novel Challenges
Bordewich has written a thorough analysis of the challenges faced by the new government, for many of which there was no precedent. Many of the participants therefore looked to classical theory for guidance. One lesson from such theory was that a powerful government could be used against the people, and therefore many Americans feared a strong government. This lesson was countered by the experiences under both the Continental and Confederation Congresses, which convinced many that a strong government was needed to deal with other nations and to protect the nation from external pressures.
Much of the story of the First Congress involves reconciling the conflicts inherent in the two lessons, one looking internally and the other externally. The theoretical answer, contained in the Constitution, is the division of power. The monumental achievement of the First Congress was breathing life into our system of checks and balances.
Bordewich also makes emphasizes how much slavery was already a divisive issue--one with no apparent solution and already threatening to become the defining issue in the new nation. Because the politicians could not envision a solution, it became easier for them to ignore the issue than to address it. This of course would make the problem worse and eventually mean that only force could resolve the issue.
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1 person found this helpful
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- resol
- 09-19-24
narrator has a painful rising intonnation
no dis respect to the narrator intended. discovered on first listen that on the last syllables of longer words, the voice can have a painful resonance on the ear at any volume setting. it's probably a technological problem, may be atmospheric. just wanted to give everyone interested a friendly warning to adjust their volumes accordingly.
that said the reading is masterful and I highly recommend this narrator, it's almost as if this recording was actually recorded synchronous with the events of the congressmen of the 18th century.
a must for any student of the early American Republic period.
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- Larry J. Seltzer
- 10-07-16
A critical story, well-told
I've wanted to read more on the subject for years. In spite of the era being well covered, I've not before seen a focus on the first congress, which operated with no precedent on which to lean. I personal learned a lot. The writing is very good and the spoken version well done.
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3 people found this helpful
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Revelatory.
Narration is clean, professional.
Lots of new information here about lesser known but nonetheless important founding fathers. Mercy, what a magnificent achievement for so eclectic and divergent a group of brilliant, idealistic insurgents.
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- Jean
- 03-05-18
Compelling
The author utilized the First Federal Congress Project to write this book. The Project has cataloged nearly all the diaries, letters and newspaper accounts relating to the proceedings of the Congress of 1789-1791. As we discovered with Bordewich’s book, the project is a gold mine for historians. The key actions of the Congress were the ratification of the Constitution and the creation and passage of the Bill of Rights. They also decided on how the government should function, cabinet positions etc.
This book is well written and meticulously researched. Bordewich has the ability to place the reader right into the scene. I felt as if I was suffering the hot cramped meeting rooms right alongside Madison, Adams and Washington debating each Amendment and the Bill of Rights. I found the section about how they determined the amount of power the president should have most interesting. They said they trusted George Washington but what about some president in the future who wants to become a dictator. It became clear to me that the issues that the men wrestled with in 1790 still have resonance today. The book is easily readable and I found it most enlightening. I have read other books by Bordewich and find him great at writing descriptive details.
The book is thirteen hours. Sean Runnels does an excellent job narrating the book. Runnels has won five Earphone Awards and has narrated a number of Audie Award winning audiobooks. He is also an actor.
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10 people found this helpful
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- NK
- 09-24-20
The 1st Congress
No complaints at all in this book. Narration was done well and very informative on the various aspects the early leaders had to deal with. Also some enlightenment on some of the precedent that still prevails. Well worth the time.
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- Bob Keegan
- 04-12-22
Fascinating
Well told story of the founding of the country once the fighting stopped. I read a lot about 18th century America, and this is one of the best books I have read (listened).
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- Smalls
- 12-01-23
An immportant slice of US history
The author looks at an important topic that is overlooked in big histories - how the first Congress set up the new government. There was no blueprint. They started from scratch.
All the important figures from that era roam across these pages but two standout in their contributions - James Madison and Alexander Hamilton. You'll see them from a different angle after reading this book.
I highly recommend it.
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