Economic Interpretaion (C. A. Beard) :: essays research papers

Charles face funguss " economical" InterpretationIn 1913, Charles A. Beard (1913 1935) consolidated various scholarly views of the system and, in the process, offered what became identified as "the" economic interpretation of the Constitution. Beard (pp. 16-18) argued that the formation of the Constitution was a conflict based upon competing economic interests - interests of both the proponents and opponents. In his view, the Federalists, the founders who supported a strong, centralized government and favored the Constitution during its draft and ratification, were individuals whose aboriginal economic interests were tied to personal property. They were mainly merchants, shippers, bankers, speculators, and private and existence securities holders, according to Beard (pp. 31-51). The Anti-federalists, the opponents of the Constitution and supporters of a more decentralized government, were individuals whose primary economic interests were tied to real property. Beard (pp. 26-30) contended these opponents consisted primarily of more isolated, less-commercial farmers, who practically were also debtors, and northern manorial planters along the Hudson River. However, Beard (pp. 29-30) maintained that umpteen southern slave owning planters, who held a lot of their wealth in personal property, had much in common with northern merchants and financiers, and should be include as supporters of the Constitution.Beard (pp. 31-51) claimed that support for his argument could be found in the economic conditions accustomed during the 1780s. As a result, he suggested that the primary beneficiaries under the Constitution would prevail been individuals with commercial and financial interests - particularly, those with public securities holdings who, according to Beard, had a clause included in the Constitution requiring the assumption of existing federal debt by the untested national government. Commercial and financial interests also would benefit bec ause of more induction in the rules of commerce, trade, and credit markets under the Constitution.