Charles Beard and the Constitution: A Critical Analysis

Anyone in college has probably heard the claim that the Constitution was written and put over by a small group of rich people to favor their own economic interests. Part of the conspiracy theory is that they were supposed to amend the Articles of Confederation, but made a whole new system and tricked people into approving it through undemocratic schemes, during an undemocratic period in our history. This claim is the theory of Charles Beard, a progressive historian who wrote "An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution." Robert Brown dismantles Beard's thesis chapter by chapter in this very readable and surprisingly even handed book. Although Brown disagrees with much of Beard's methods, evidence and conclusions, Brown does not make an ad hominem attack. Rather, he is very graceful and reasonable. Brown uses Beard's outline in the book, with chapters surveying economic interests, property safeguards, political doctrines, the economics of the vote and the ratification process, among others. According to Brown, Beard's argument fails from too much reliance on secondary sources, eliminating evidence that did not fit his thesis, and drawing conclusions which were not supported by his own evidence. Even Beard admits that no one had done the work to make an economic interpretation, nor had he. Yet, he goes on to make one, even though he 'didn't have enough time' to do a full job. Thus, the thesis must have preceded the evidence. Brown analyzes Beard's evidence and provides additional evidence in refuting Beard's conclusions. Brown shows that Beard's book is anything but an objective catalog of facts. Rather, it is interpretation, and a flawed one. Though admitting that we may never be completely objective in history, Brown states that one can certainly be more objective than Beard was. A more objective interpretation of the Constitution would be that it was adopted in a society which was fundamentally democratic, not undemocratic; and that it was adopted by a people who were primarily middle class property owners, especially farmers who owned realty, not just by the owners of 'personalty.' Nor was ejecting the Articles of Confederation and starting over anything unexpected or of concern. The conspiracy theory dies at the hands of Robert Brown. This is a must read for anyone who has heard the 'economic conspiracy' myth of the constitution, or who is interested in the founding of our form of government. It is 200 pages of well written text with plenty of references to original sources.