The Early Republic: Documents Decoded. By John R. Vile. Documents Decoded. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2016. 309 p. Acid free $81.00 (ISBN: 978-1-4408-4346-4).

This is the newest release in ABC-CLIO’s Documents Decoded series, a range of works devoted to collecting noteworthy primary resources. The subjects covered in the series are wide-ranging and include Women’s Rights, Presidential Power, the Abolitionist Movement, and the Death Penalty. What makes Documents Decoded books stand out among the plethora of primary resource collections available is that expert commentary and analysis are presented literally alongside the text of seminal primary resources. That is, scholarly observation and historical background annotations are actually printed in the margins of the primary resource text. This is a unique approach that seems more accessible and user-friendly than traditional endnotes, footnotes, or isolated explanations.

The “Early Republic” is defined here as quite simply the first six US presidents. The volume’s sources are ordered chronologically and range from 1789 (Washington’s Inaugural Address) to 1828 (a South Carolina protest of newly enacted federal tariffs that evince the first stirrings of Southern secession). ABC-CLIO bills the Documents Decoded series as leading users “on a hunt for new secrets through an expertly curated selection of primary resources” (iii). Though the intimation that readers will be the first to discover something previously unknown here seems a bit exaggerated, it is true that much of the material selected in The Early Republic is lesser known. While some famous documents are included, such as the Louisiana Purchase and the Missouri Compromise, other unknown gems like the Declaration of War against the Barbary Pirates from 1802 and 1819’s Adams-Onis Treaty, or “His Catholic Majesty Cedes East and West Florida,” are on display as well. Even well-known sources like The Star-Spangled Banner can yield surprises. While the original song included here is much longer than the familiar verse sung before American sporting events, the anthem is also the original source of the “In God We Trust” motto that still adorns our currency.

Special features at the end of the volume include a “Timeline of Events” and a six-page list of “Further Reading.” The latter is organized by individual personages (Washington, Adams, Jefferson, etc.) rather than by subject, and there are no “see also” references, making further pursuit of a subject here a bit onerous for users.

Overall, the presentation of the material as marginal annotations is appealing and easy to follow. Conversely, of course, the “marginalia” approach is unavoidably a bit shallow. However, the wide range and interesting choice of the primary resources included here makes up for the lack of analytical depth. These two unique features—both the selection and presentation of the material—make this particular source stand out. Recognizing that this should only be considered a starting point for any serious research, The Early Republic is appropriate for both high school and college libraries.—Mike Tosko, Subject Librarian, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio