The Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution, Volume 10

The debate over the Constitution reached a climax in Virginia during June 1788 as a closely divided Convention vigorously debated the merits of the new frame of government. Virginians, like many other Americans, realized the importance of the Old Dominion in the ratification process. Without Virginia's approval, the Union would be incomplete and divided. This third Virginia volume contains the last two-thirds of the Convention debate, which turned on whether to adopt the Constitution unconditionally with recommended amendments, or to adopt the Constitution conditionally with a list of required amendments. The sources for Virginia's ratification reveal as never before the intricacies of the debate and the preeminence of Virginia to the ratification process.

This documentary series is a research tool of remarkable power, an unrivaled reference work for historical and legal scholars, librarians, and students of the Constitution. The volumes are encyclopedic, consisting of manuscript and printed documents-contemporary newspapers, broadsides, and pamphlets-compiled from hundreds of sources, copiously annotated, thoroughly indexed, and often accompanied by microfiche supplements.

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Michael Kammen has noted that The Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution series "will be of enduring value centuries hence" and described it as "one of the most interesting documentary publications we have ever had." The American Bar Association Journal has stated, "Each new volume now fills another vital part of the mosaic of national history."