An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States

A CONTROVERSIAL INTERPRETATION OF THE FOUNDERS' INTENTIONSBeard's interpretation proposes that the Framers of the FederalConstitution were motivated primarily by economic concerns.This argument was widely held until the late 1950s, when it wasgradually undermined by later research, much of it stimulated byBeard's work. Although most scholars today see the origins of therevolution in terms of the history of ideas, especially republicanism,Beard's work remains fundamental and has insured a continuedfocus on the economic aspect of the nation's establishment, as wellas a wider awareness of the role of economic interests in history.". . . one of 'the basic works' on the Federal Convention of 1787." --JAMES WILLARD HURST, The Growth of American Law 458CHARLES A. BEARD [1874-1948] was one of the mostinfluential American historians of the first half of the 20thcentury. A founder of The New School for Social Research, hewas the author of several works including T he Supreme Court and theConstitution (1912), Economic Origins of Jeffersonian Democracy (1915) andT he Rise of American Civilization (1927), co-written with his wife, thehistorian Mary Beard.