Chapters: Radical Whigs and the Resistance Movement -- Congressional Factionalism and the Decision to Revolt -- Factions and the Spirit of Seventy-Six -- The Politics of War, 1776-1778 -- Confederation -- Congressional Parties, 1777-1779 -- The Second Resistance: The Politics of Foreign Affairs, 1778-1779 -- Currency Finance and Corruption, 1776-1779 -- Crisis, Confederation, Consolidation -- The Nationalist Dilemma: Finance, France, and the West, 1781-1782 -- The Failure of the Nationalists -- The Ascendancy of the South: 1784-1785 -- The Crisis of the Confederation --Epilogue: The Genesis of the First Party System.
Summary
"Reexamines the immense documentation still extant for the Congress, and judiciously evaluates the Congress's accomplishments and points out its frailties. The book's most distinctive feature is its focus on congressional politics and factions. The author examines the voting patterns and personal and geographical divisions existing in the Continental Congress, uncovering all the elements of a concealed party system taking form as early as 1774." [from the publisher]
