Transcript Framing the Constitution Charles A. Beard

Framing the Constitution
Charles A. Beard
Charles A. Beard, who published his famous An
Economic Interpretation of the Constitution in 1913,
suggested that the Constitution was nothing more than
the work of an economic elite that was seeking to
preserve its property.
This elite, according to Beard, consisted of
landholders, creditors, merchants, public bondholders,
and wealthy lawyers. Beard demonstrated that many of
the delegates to the convention fell into one of these
categories.
Goal to Limit Popular Majorities
• According to Beard’s � thesis, as the delegates
met, the primary concern of most of them was to
limit the power of popular majorities and thus
protect their own property interests.
• To Beard, the anti-majoritarian attributes that he
felt existed in the Constitution were a reflection
of the less numerous creditor class attempting to
protect itself against incursions by the majority.
Constitution Protects Property
• Specific provisions as well were put into the
Constitution with a view toward protecting
property, such as the clause prohibiting states
from impairing contracts, coining money, or
emitting bills of credit.
• Control over money was placed in the hands of
the national government, and in Article VI of the
Constitution it was provided that the new
government was to guarantee all debts that had
been incurred by the national government under
the Articles of Confederation.
Beard v. Roche
• Ironically, Beard, like Roche, was attempting to
dispel the prevailing notions of his time that the
Constitution had been formulated by philosopher
kings whose wisdom could not be challenged.
• But while Roche postulates a loosely knit
practical political elite, Beard suggests the
existence of a cohesive and even conspiratorial
economic elite. The limitation on majority rule
was an essential component of this economic
conspiracy.
Evidence Does Not Support
Beard
• Beard’s � thesis was startling at the time it was
published in 1913. As it came under close
examination, it was revealed that the evidence
simply did not support Beard's hypothesis.
• Key leaders of the convention, including
Madison, were not substantial property owners.
Several important opponents to ratification of the
Constitution were the very members of the
economic elite that Beard said conspired to
thrust the Constitution upon an unknowing
public.