Mulligan et al. on Early Translations of the US Constitution

Christina Mulligan, Brooklyn Law School; Michael Douma, James Madison University; Hans Lind, Yale University; and Brian Patrick Quinn have posted Founding-Era Translations of the United States Constitution:

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.

A separately posted appendix "contains founding-era German and Dutch translations of the United States Constitution, along with extensive commentary on the translations."