Resumen
Resumen de El período crítico de la historia estadounidense
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This book suits readers who love the story of how nations are made, enjoy portraits of Washington, Franklin, Hamilton and Madison, and want to see how real people produced the Constitution.
De qué trata este libro
What happens to a country the day after it wins its war? In 1783 Thomas Paine announced that the times that tried men's souls were over. John Fiske, writing a century later, says the opposite. The hardest years, he argues, were still ahead.
The Critical Period of American History appeared in 1888, after lectures Fiske gave in Boston, St. Louis and New York. It follows the five years from the peace with Britain to the Constitution. You learn how a loose league of thirteen quarreling states came to accept one federal government.
En este resumen
- 1Yorktown topples a king's system of ruleFree
- 2Three envoys outplay France at the Paris table
- 3Washington goes home but warns of danger
- 4The Articles gave Congress duties without power
- 5Fear of the army shakes a feeble Congress
- 6Congress cannot make states honor the peace treaty
- 7Trade wars split the states and shame its envoys
- 8Debt and paper money push towns toward revolt
- 9Western lands become the first national property
- 10Compromise builds the Constitution and the people accept it
Idea clave 1 de 10
Yorktown topples a king's system of rule
Fiske begins in London, because the American victory shook British politics first. Lord North's ministry fell in March 1782. George III had always preferred to fight his constitutional battle in America, and with Yorktown lost that plan lay in ruins.
The king tried to keep the Whigs divided. Rockingham died in July 1782, and Shelburne made the peace but lost his office. Fox and Lord North, who had spent ten years abusing each other, joined in a coalition. They voted the treaty down, then signed the very same treaty once in power.
The king saw his chance when Fox brought in a bill to govern India. The Lords threw it out, and George turned to Pitt, who was only twenty-five. Pitt won the largest majority ever given to an English minister. Yorktown ended personal rule in Britain as surely as it ended British rule in America.
That’s 1 of 10 key points.
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About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 90,800 words
- Reading timeAbout 6 h 20 min
Questions about El período crítico de la historia estadounidense
What is The Critical Period of American History about?
It covers the years from the British defeat at Yorktown to the adoption of the Federal Constitution. Fiske shows how the weak Articles of Confederation, money troubles, rebellions and trade quarrels led the states to accept a stronger national government.
Why does Fiske call 1783 to 1788 the critical period?
He argues the peace of 1783 did not secure the nation. The states barely cooperated, Congress lacked power, and disunion or civil conflict were real dangers, so those five years decided whether one federal nation would exist.
What were the Articles of Confederation?
They were the first plan of government for the United States, in force from 1781. They created a Congress with one vote per state but no power to tax or enforce its laws, which is why Fiske calls them a league of friendship.
Who are the main figures in the book?
Washington, Franklin, John Adams, Jay, Hamilton and Madison stand at its center. Fiske also draws vivid portraits of Shelburne, Fox and Pitt in Britain, and of Samuel Adams, Shays, Sevier and Patrick Henry.
Is it worth reading today?
Yes, for anyone curious about how the Constitution came to be. Fiske tells it as a chain of vivid episodes, from Newburgh to the Convention, and his comparisons with British government still shed light on the American system.
Cite this edition
Fiske, John. The Critical Period of American History. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-critical-period-of-american-history.
Fiske, J. (2026). The critical period of American history. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-critical-period-of-american-history (Original work published 1888)
Fiske, John. The Critical Period of American History. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-critical-period-of-american-history.
@book{fiske2026critical,
author = {Fiske, John},
title = {The Critical Period of American History},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-critical-period-of-american-history},
note = {First published 1888}
}
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