After more than three decades of heated debate, the question of whether the political culture of the early republic was essentially republican or liberal remains unresolved. Moral Visions and Material Ambitions cuts through this impasse with a freshand compelling argument: as the nation's economy became increasingly capitalist and market-driven in the half-century following the American Revolution, the rising middle class took advantage of new economic opportunities and justified their actions by creating a republican vision of liberalism capitalism, a vision that would come to dominate political discourse for the remainder of the century. Moral Visions and Material Ambitions thus opens a unique window onto the intellectual life of ordinarypeople and reveals the critical role they played in defining the nature of American society. This is an important book with a provocative thesis, making it a book that will be required reading for everyone concerned with the history of the early republic.
Ronald Schultz, University of Wyoming Recommended.
CHOICE
Moral Visions and Material Ambitions is a terrific book. Kristin Foster brings vividly to life the laborers, skilled craftsmen, free blacks, and men and women of the 'middling sort' in post-Revolutionary Philadelphia as they invoked republican ideology to suit their varied purposes. Examining a series of events ranging from the war of independence and a bitterly fought court battle to exuberant parades and public ceremonials, Foster deepens our understanding of the Revolution's complex ideological legacy.
Paul S. Boyer, editor-in-chief, The Oxford Companion to United States History After more than three decades of heated debate, the question of whether the political culture of the early republic was essentially republican or liberal remains unresolved. Moral Visions and Material Ambitions cuts through this impasse with a fresh and compelling argument: as the nation's economy became increasingly capitalist and market-driven in the half-century following the American Revolution, the rising middle class took advantage of new economic opportunities and justified their actions by creating a republican vision of liberalism capitalism, a vision that would come to dominate political discourse for the remainder of the century. Moral Visions and Material Ambitions thus opens a unique window onto the intellectual life of ordinary people and reveals the critical role they played in defining the nature of American society. This is an important book with a provocative thesis, making it a book that will be required reading for everyone concerned with the history of the early republic.
Ronald Schultz, University of Wyoming