The 1787 Constitution as Counterrevolution: America's Thermidorian Reaction
Summary
This episode examines Murray Rothbard’s interpretation of the 1787 Constitutional Convention as a counter-revolutionary "Thermidorian reaction" against the radical democracy of the 1770s. The discussion highlights Rothbard’s view that the new constitution served conservative oligarchic interests, contrasting it with the earlier, more democratic state governments like Pennsylvania’s. It also incorporates insights from Russian historian Alexander Forenko, who argues that the Constitution was a class-based compromise that suppressed popular democratic movements. The episode concludes by contra…
Topics discussed
Introduction: Rothbard's view of the Constitution as counter-revolution
The Neo-Whig narrative and its Cold War revival
Rothbard's emphasis on radical democracy in the 1770s
The 1787 Convention as the triumph of conservatism
Forenko's essay: The American 'Little Thermidor'
French diplomatic views on the new Constitution
Critique of the Convention's secrecy and class composition
Historiographical debates: Neo-Whigs vs. class conflict
Post-war radicalism, Shays' Rebellion, and the Constitution's goals
Casby's defense of the Constitution vs. Forenko's critique
The Constitution as a tool for bourgeois consolidation
Slavery, the Declaration, and the Constitution's compromises
Rothbard's alignment with radical liberal class conflict theory
Planter class leverage and the centralization of power
The shift in ruling class policy post-war
The political maneuvering behind the Bill of Rights
Comparing US and French democratic outcomes
Conclusion: Rothbard's final assessment of the 1787 Constitution
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