The origins of American constitutionalism

Introduction : the nature of the task

The problems of origins

Constitutions, covenants, and compacts

From covenant to constitutions

Charters and the first constitutions

Constitutional development during the colonial era

A coherent American theory of politics

Variations on a theory of popular control

The first state constitutions

The declaration of independence

The articles of confederation

The context of the constitution

Conclusion : an unfinished constitutional tradition.