Catherine Drinker Bowen's "Miracle at Philadelphia" was first published in 1966. It has been reprinted and widely used in classrooms ever since that time. The book is well written in an easy to understand style which will aid the reader who wants a first hand account of how our nation's foundational document The Constitution was given birth. The Bill of Rights and the other amendments were not added to the key document until several years later.
The convention consisted of 55 delegates representing every state but Rhode Island. This smallest of states was anti-federalist and refused to send a delegate to sweltering hot Philadelphia in the late spring of 1787. The convention was charged with replacing the Articles of Confederation which had been in place since the end of the American Revolution. The Articles led to confusion over money being issued by each state; questions about a standing army and failed to quell such rebellion's against the central goverment as that of Shay's in Mass.
The debates were hotly fought and compromise over issues became key to the success of the Constitution. The presiding officer was hero General George Washington. Also present was the President of Pennyslvania Benjamin Franklin and the father of the Constitution James Madison of Virginia. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were not there serving as respectively US ambassadors to France and Great Britain.
The Constitution divided the strong central government into three branches of judicial, legislative and executive. It was decided to give the people of America proportional representation in the House of Representatives with elections held every two years. Each state was to be given two senators regardless of the state's size. Senators were to be elected every six years. The President of the US was to be elected every four years. Slaves and Native Americans were considered as 3/5 of a white voter in the proportioning of representatives. State governments were given freedom but the national government was to be surpeme. Washington DC was selected as the site for the national capital.
After months of debate the Constitution was made public on September 17, 1787. It went to the states for ratification winning quick approval.
Votes in the states were close on approving the Constitution especially in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New York. Thankfully the Constitution won approval and made America a strong nation through national unity.
Throughout the work Ms. Bowen relishes descriptions of how the delegates dressed, talked and did in their political careers. She also takes us on a tour of late eighteenth century America. Anyone interested in early American history and government should read this excellent book!

I was forced to buy and read this book for an American History class and I KNOW some may say that I am biased because I was required to read this book, but I must say, it is absolutly horrible. As a journalism major I found this book very hard to read. Every chapter talks about the same thing. The delegates can't decide on anything, everything is based on property and nothing is resolved. (well, until the end, obviously) Perhaps that is how the real constitutional convention happened, but i don't need to read the same thing over and over for 200 pages. Often, the author side tracks on little tid bits of personal information about the delegates that seem totally unrealted to the story at the time. Unless you are a seventy year old man, I don't think you will find this book interesting at all.

"Miracle At Philadelphia" brings the reader into one of the most crucial, sweltering summers of American history, during which the Constitutional Convention, called to propose amendments to the Articles of Confederation, exceeded its mandate and wrote the Constitution. The practice of maintaining secrecy of the proceedings reflects the delegates' fear of the public response had the radical nature of their actions been known and would later provide a sword to opponents of the Constitution during the ratification process.

Author Catherine Drinker Bowen does an excellent job of portraying the personae dramatae, framing the issues and reporting on the compromises which led to the end product.

The cast of characters includes some of the most spectacular names in the early American pantheon, some in surprising roles, and others, lesser known, but very important in this convention. George Washington, as president of the convention, presides in silence, but his very presence shaped the document created before him. James Madison and Alexander Hamilton guided the process through to the conclusion which they promoted. Benjamin Franklin guided with his sage hand, while James Wilson of Pennsylvania and Luther Martin of Maryland provided leadership to opposing sides. As hard as it is to imagine, this was done without the presence of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, both serving on diplomatic missions in Europe.

Many of the chapters are organized by issue. How we ended up with a bicameral legislature representing states and population, a single executive, the District of Columbia and other things are laid out before the reader. The debates over slavery, a standing army and other issues which, if adopted, might have changed our history radically, make for interesting historical reading. The ratification process is followed through the states. I was surprised to find James Monroe among the Anti-Federalists.

"Miracle at Philadelphia" relies on the notes maintained by delegates and seems to stick to known facts, eschewing speculation, fictional dramatization, and analysis of external influences in telling its story. It is not a riveting, novel like work, but is interesting and informative. I read it in the hopes of gaining an understanding of how the miracle of our Constitution came about. I am satisfied and trust that you will be too.

I tend to avoid buying just any book, because you read it one time and it has then outgrown its usefulness. This book is one that is needed in every personal library. It reads like a novel, but can most assuredly be used as a reference book. Bowen is a master craftsman when it comes to biography. You feel like you know them, without the use of superlatives. Their merits stand on their own, with the help of the authors excellent research. Miracle at Philadelphia is the blueprint to understanding that it truly was a miracle that the United States exists. You will be a better person for reading it. I love George Washington!

I first read this book several years ago for my high school American History class, and I just recently read it again. This book is excellent no matter what your age or understanding of U.S. History. One of its greatest advantages is that its narrative style makes the story of the Constitution so accessible. It is clear and easy to read; however, it does give a complete and thorough treatment of why the document was needed; the ideas and compromises that went into the document, and the debates that shaped the Constitution. Finally, the book is clearly, excellently based upon James Madison's notes from the Convention itself. All in all, an outstanding book for high school and college students, and anyone else interested.

A breathtaking account! Includes countless historical facts told in an easy-to-read manner. One of my top five favorite books!

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but in this case you can tell a lot about the book just from its title. You can't expect any kind of objective commentary from something with the gushing title of "Miracle at Philadelphia". Ms Bowen's work is another in the long tradition of encouraging worship of rather than understanding of the Founding Fathers.

Having said that, it must be admitted that it does do so rather well. The book contains a wealth of detail without bogging down the storytelling. Of course the details presented are those which cast the Framers in a positive light. You wouldn't learn from reading this book that at the end of the Revolutionary War Robert Morris and Alexander Hamilton attempted a military coup to force a strong centralized administration of the United States. Or that Nathaniel Gorham, while President of Congress, had contacted European governments about becoming the King of America.

Still, the information she does present is accurate enough. I describe the work as useful and give it 3 out of 5 stars. It can help flesh out the story of the federal convention even if it doesn't convey a full understanding of what actually took place. The best general survey of the Framing I have found is the Colliers' "Decision in Philadelphia". If you are only going to get a single book on the constitutional convention that is the one to buy. As Ms Bowen says, she is a Drinker. Her book has the flaw you would expect from a descendent of that old Quaker family. It's best used as a supplement for more comprehensive works.

This book stands out because it is one the most readable books you will find in the history section. It is very clear and you do get a lot of information about the time that representatives from all the states were in Philadelphia during a hot summer to write the Constitution.

If you are a highschool student it is therefore very interesting because it gives you a good insight in how this remarkable document came into being. For more advanced readers it is also very interesting, it is especially better than any other book on this subject, it makes the whole process clearer than in a standard history book. It also gives a great explenation of the men who were involved. Through looking at the private documents of the participants she makes the process more human, and therefore more easily understandable.

After having read this novel for a class of mine, I compared the information presented to me to The Constitution itself. To my surprise, the facts that were given about The Constitution matched the majority of the document. Having said that, the book is what I would consider a slow read. It's an alternative source to studying our Founding Fathers and what the author portrayed as their thought processes. If you're looking for another way to studying The Constitution itself, you're best off with a copy of the document in front of you. The book is very informative if you are doing research on the time period and the thoughts that plagued the minds of those who drafted it, but if you're looking for a fast-paced plot filled adventure, or even a plot alone, I would recommend that journey to another department of your local bookstore.

Miracle at Philadelphia is a great book for anyone looking to understand the facts regarding the founding fathers and the Constitutional Convention. Having been told to read this book for class, we expected it to be another boring, wordy book. However, the book turned out to be very informative. It was not a hard read and could easily been read in a relatively short amount of time. The book does not read like typical history books we were used to. It is more of a novel in the sense that it is not just bombarded with facts, but flows like a story should, without missing any details. The book did an excellent job of not only explaining the draft of the Constitution, but also everything that led up to it. By reading this book, we learned many things that were unclear and unknown about the founding fathers and the Constitutional Convention. The author explained in great detail, in such a way that was not boring for the reader. Yet, it still covered all the facts. I recommend this to anyone interesting in learning about early America or someone looking for an interesting book.

When I first heard I had to read this book for my law class. I though great another boring book I have to read for class. Then my teacher told my class that it told of the story of the constitional convention. Ok, I that point I though maybe it won't be that bad. Then I started to read it and I found it was very interesting. It also gives a detailed account of parts of the convention you don't hear about in the history books; like what they did at night and on days off. I would recommend this book to anybody who is either studying law, history, or just wants to better understanding of what happened that summer in Philadelphia.

As a high school student, this book is easy to read and comprehend and introduces the Constitution very well. It defines clearly how the Constitution came about, what it meant, and how important a role compromise and sacrifice played in the matter. It describes the problems that were encountered, which helps to portray exactly how hard it was to get all of the delegates to accept the Constitution. It also gives background information of the delegates and their contribution to our country. After reading this book, an appreciation is developed for all the work that our forefathers put into the Constitution, and for the fact that it remains effective to this day. The Miracle at Philadelphia is definitely an asset to have in the classroom if one intends to fully understand the history of the Constitution and its benefits.

I started out reading this book with preconcieved notions that it would be boring and a long read, but after reading through the first two chapters I realized that it was not a useless fact book but in reality a interesting journal (in a way) about the peple who meet. It tells you about the troubles the deligates had getting down there, the heat, the citizens, the secrecy, what they did after meetings, etc. After reading each chapter you think "Why would they sit through that?" and then it goes on to tell you. I found it fascinating to see who really talked, who was prepared, and who was there just to say his name was there in history. I am pleased with how this book turnned out, it not only appeals to the history lover, but to the general public.

Miracle at Philadelphia - far from being a "young adult" book - is one book which should be on everyone's top ten reading list. The story of what eventually became the Constitutional Convention, although not starting out as such, the book gives unique insight into the men and the minds that framed our Constitution, the first such written document in the world. Along with the Federalist Papers and other selected correspondence between those both in attendance and abroad (such as Adams and Jefferson), Bowen's book gives a clear and concise explanation as to the form of government we enjoy, as well as showing who supported and who opposed the document coming out of the convention.