Beard, Charles. An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1952. xxi, 330 pp. Reprinted 2001 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. LCCN 00-036834. ISBN 1-58477-111-9. Cloth. $80. In this classic and controversial interpretation of the economic conditions of the United States between 1783-1787, Beard proposes the thesis that the Framers were motivated by economic concerns. In his landmark work The Growth of American Law Hurst describes An Economic Interpretation... as "one of 'the basic works' on the Federal Convention of 1787." Hurst, The Growth of American Law: 458. Beard [1874-1948] was a founder of The New School for Social Research.