In his foreword to this volume, Forrest McDonald points out that while the drafting of the Constitution has inspired a large body of historical writing, "that on the ratification of the instrument, though an event of equal importance and far greater drama, is relatively small." This volume fills that gap; it is, according to McDonald, "the most extensive treatment of the subject yet undertaken." A diverse group of historians and political theorists examine the interrelationship of the theoretical debate and the political process on a state-by-state basis, unraveling the labyrinthine complexity of ratification.