Documentary History of the First Federal Elections, 1788-1790, Volume IV

With this fourth volume, a history documenting the evolution of political processes in the United States is complete. The four volumes in The Documentary History of the First Federal Elections record the process by which the Confederation Congress and the thirteen original states implemented the electoral provisions of the federal Constitution of 1787. Contemporaries understood that the first federal Congress would "flesh out" the Constitution, and that the first federal elections were therefore an important step in the continuing struggle to shape, influence, and control the central government. The Constitution and the Confederation Congress allowed the states wide latitude in choosing Senators and in framing their laws for the election of the first presidential Electors and Representatives. This latitude encouraged experimentation and a lively public discussion about the entire electoral process.

In all the volumes of The Documentary History of the First Federal Elections, the reader will find a wide range of sources from official proclamations to contemporary newspaper accounts, from biographical sketches of candidates to the election results. Maps showing electoral districts accompany the political developments in each state.

Volume IV contains documents relating to elections in North Carolina and Rhode Island as well as to the election of the president and vice president.