Founding America

the long version

The Barnes & Noble Classics series offers a constellation of influences; biographical, historical and literary, to enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works. Modern American politicians refer to ?the founders? so often that they{u2019}re in danger of becoming clichés. But Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Abigail and John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, James Madison, James Monroe, and the other authors included in this new collection were a wholly unique{u2015}and complex{u2015}group of individuals, graced with extraordinary intellectual powers, a profound dedication to their ideals, and a striking ability to articulate those ideals in clear and passionate prose. This original anthology of their writings, many of them far less familiar to us than they should be, demonstrates the depth of their thinking{u2015}and of their disagreements. It covers the full range of events from 1773 to 1789: that is, from the early debates about whether the North American colonies should declare their independence from England, to the ratification of the Constitution and the first ten amendments (the Bill of Rights). Among the documents included are papers from the first and second Continental Congresses, the Articles of Confederation, Washington{u2019}s Farewell Address to his armies, and extensive excerpts from the Federalist papers and the Madison{u2013}Jefferson correspondence on the Constitution.