The primacy of landed gentry was pretty much destroyed in the Civil
War, when the question of "States Rights" was settled in blood.
There was a clear conflict between the South, who clung to the
Jeffersonian interpretation of the constitution, and tne North, who
wanted to get on with the Federalist vision of a strong central
government to continue the capitalist and industrial revolution.
Each was a valid interpretation of the Republican-Federalist
dichotomy present from the first in America, and the latter prevailed
through force of arms.
The interpretation of the Constitution by the courts since that time
has been based on the Federalist vision of the primacy of the Federal
government. To attempt to re-assert the romantic view of the U.S. as
a society of agrarian freeholders is revisionist, and highly
unrealistic.
Jeffersonian version at this date is revisionist history.
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Ron Force rforce@belle.lib.uidaho.edu
Dean of Library Services (208) 885-6534
University of Idaho Library Moscow, ID 83844-2371
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