Practicing Democracy ― Popular Politics in the United States from the Constitution to the Civil War

Examining popular and partisan politics during the first few decades of the republic, historians of the US cover party development, parties and participation, the place of parties in American politics, and a fresh perspective. Specific topics include path dependence and the origins of party politics in the US, the crisis of the American Civil War, rethinking the relationship between political parties and popular participation in the early US, Illinois as a case study in antebellum politics, immigrants and popular politics in pre-Civil War New York, and engagement versus capability as two approaches to democratization. The 10 studies are from a 2011 conference in London. Annotation c2015 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)

Daniel Peart, Lecturer in American History at Queen Mary University of London, is author ofEra of Experimentation: American Political Practices in the Early Republic (Virginia). Adam I. P. Smith, Senior Lecturer at University College London, is author ofThe American Civil War.