The two decades after the American Revolution contributed a rich and complex literary culture as crucial to the development of a distinctive American literature as the Bill of Rights and the Constitution were to the creation of the Nations political system. The writings of the Republics first men and women of letters are comprised of political and philosophical essays, poetry proclaiming the dawning of a new age in the new land and novels and other narrative forms. Following this volumes main entries chronicling the writers is an appendix presenting essays and poetry which further illuminates the period.

61 entries include: John Quincy Adams, Richard Alsop, Fisher Ames, Mathew Carey, Samuel Cole Davis, Alexander Hamilton, Jedidiah Morse, Sarah Wentworth Morton, John Howard Payne, Benjamin Rush, James Thatcher and Noah Webster.