The Federalist, A Collection of Essays written in Favor of the New Constitution. (1788, latest ed. by Lodge, 1888.) - The essays were published separately as political pamphlets or contributions to periodicals during the period of the discussion in New York as to the ratification of the proposed federal constitution by that state. Their authorship was not announced at the time, but they were in fact prepared by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison. They contain a valuable contemporaneous exposition of the important features of the proposed constitution and are constantly referred to in works on constitutional law and history of the United States.

Bancroft, George. History of the Formation of the Constitution of the United States. (2 vols., 1882, reprinted as Vol. VI of his History of the United States of America (author's last rev., 6 vols., 1884-1885.) - This final part of Bancroft's History is substantially an independent work on the formation of the Constitution of the United States and its adoption in the states. It is popular in character, but quite fully discusses the questions in controversy at that time with reference to the nature of the federal government.

Fiske, John. The Critical Period of American History. (1888.)

- A popular account of the political history of the United States from the end of the Revolutionary War to the adoption of the federal constitution, explaining the conditions under which the federal government was instituted.

Jameson, John Alexander. Constitutional Conventions; Their History, Powers, and Modes of Procedure. (1867 4th ed., 1887.)

- This work was written during the Reconstruction Period, when the powers of and procedure in constitutional conventions was the subject of much controversy; but it is fundamental in treatment, dealing with sovereignty and other subjects involved in the making of constitutions, and contains valuable data as to the original state constitutions and the admission of states by Congress, as well as the constitutional conventions held in the southern states during the period of secession and reconstruction.

Jameson, John Franklin. Essays on the Constitutional History of the United States in the Formative Period, 1775-1789. (1889.)

- An interesting discussion of controversies which arose during the early period of our history.

Borgeaud, Charles. adoption and Amendment of Constitutions in Europe and America. (1893. Transl. by Hazen, 1895.)

- This is a brief work of comparative constitutional law, discussing the general exercise of the function of constitution making.

Poore, Ben. Perley. The Federal and State Constitutions, Colonial Charters, and Other Organic Laws of the United States. (2 vols., 1877.) - A compilation of matter valuable for comparison, much of which is not otherwise readily accessible.