The Jay Treaty Debate, Public Opinion, and the Evolution of Early American Political Culture (Political Development of the American Nation: Studies in Politics and History)
The Jay Treaty marked a decisive turning-point in framing an international settlement after the American Revolution; Todd Estes demonstrates that its ratification also marked an important step in the evolution of American politics. He shows that the debate over the treaty opened national politics to public opinion, as Republicans and then Federalists worked to develop linkages between the national capitol and the people in their localities in order to shape the outcome. His book will establish the importance of the political struggle over the Jay Treaty to the emergence of partisanship in the early American republic.(John L. Brooke, author of The Heart of the Commonwealth: Society and Political Culture in Worcester County, Massachusetts, 1713--1861)By combining the study of early American diplomacy with he study of political culture, The Jay Treaty Debate, Public Opinion, and the Evolution of Early American Political Culture casts important light on both fields. Estes has laid out a path that reconnects diplomatic history to the general study of the early republic, which other historians would be advised to follow.(The Journal of American History)At the heart of the debate over the Jay Treaty was a spirited argument about the role citizens should play in the new nation, and Estes argues that the petitions that emerged from popular meetings asserted a newer, more modern understanding of the public s role in matters of public policy.... This book provides a solid overview of the arguments used to persuade an undecided nation.(American Historical Review)A must read for any student of early American political culture.... Scholars in literature, political science, and communication studies may also find this work of interest.(Register of the Kentucky Historical Society)