Original Intentions

By exploring the Founders and their times through the eyes of three distinguished historians, we will try to penetrate the veil of legend and achieve a fresh understanding of these men and their world. Our discussions will generate a host of questions about the era of the Revolution and the early Republic. To what degree was resistance to British “tyranny” propelled by British constitutional principles? How did the Founders view the character of “democracy” and the role of competitive party politics? What hopes or expectations did they hold regarding the future of plantation slavery? What views did they hold about the political economy of the new nation? In what way did the concept of “honor” and the quest for “fame” guide their conduct? What accounts for the bitter controversies that colored American politics after 1789?

Readings:

Benjamin Franklin, Edmund S. Morgan

Founding Father: Rediscovering George Washington, Richard Brookhiser

Alexander Hamilton, American, Richard Brookhiser

Founding Brothers, The Revolutionary Generation, Joseph J. Ellis