Abstract
Before its ratification, the United States Constitution was translated into German and Dutch for the German- and Dutch-speaking populations of Pennsylvania and New York. Although copies of both the German- and Dutch-language translations have been preserved, they have largely escaped analysis — and public awareness — until now. This paper provides historical context for these translations and analyzes how they might aid our interpretation of the U.S. Constitution in the present day. Supplemental to this article is an appendix containing the German and Dutch translations, as well as extensive commentary on the translations, available at https://ssrn.com/abstract=2486282.
Volume
31
Issue
1
Page
1
Year
2016
Recommended Citation
Christina Mulligan, Michael Douma, Hans Lind & Brian Quinn,
Founding-Era Translations of the U.S. Constitution,
31
Const. Comment.
1
(2016).
Available at:
https://doi.org/10.24926/26390742.1243
DOI Link
https://doi.org/10.24926/26390742.1243
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Publication Abbreviation
Const. Comment.
Included in
Archival Statement
Note: The documents on this page were created before current policy requirements took effect, and therefore may not be accessible. Request this content in an accessible format.
