In this text, Catherine Holland advances a thesis that challenges the dominant schools of thought concerning the liberal tradition in the United States. Organized around two founding moments - the American Revolution and ratification of the Constitution and the period of Reconstruction following the American Civil War - the book identifies a recurring, symbolic figure at the heart of American dilemmas of citizenship and nation, namely the human body.

In this text, Catherine Holland advances a thesis that challenges the dominant schools of thought concerning the liberal tradition in the United States. Organized around two founding moments - the American Revolution and ratification of the Constitution and the period of Reconstruction following the American Civil War - the book identifies a recurring, symbolic figure at the heart of American dilemmas of citizenship and nation, namely the human body.