The Founding Fathers Reconsidered

Prolific historian Bernstein (adjunct, New York Law Sch.) follows up the brief biography Thomas Jefferson with another accessible work of popular history on a weighty topic. In intertwined biographical sketches that synthesize the scholarship of others from a bevy of primary and secondary sources, he succinctly summarizes the accomplishments of iconic early American statesmen and politicians. More interestingly, he also examines the conflicting and wavering legacies of these Revolutionary leaders and crafters of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Bernstein stresses that the founders were noble but imperfect men, not flawless demigods, and his repeated references to the distinction of his approach in this regard can get tiring. Still, it's to his credit that he does not shy away from commenting on what he perceives as a lack of foresight and courage by the founders when crafting laws for the fledgling republic, most notably on the issue of slavery. The endnotes and bibliography are generously annotated, increasing this book's value as a useful starting point for further, more scholarly research. Recommended for general readers seeking an introduction to the legacies, political careers, and disparate roles of these men in the creation and early leadership of a new nation.

Bernstein emphasizes the importance of the shared sense that the constitution was indeed a popular creation.  Despite the ongoing tensions and debates about restricting and empowering governments, the necessity of bills of rights, the relationship between church and state and fears about popular rule, the clear sense and evidence of popular input into state and later federal constitution-making ensured that the process leading to the new constitution would enjoy a popular legitimacy that was lacking in legal codes set forth by great lawgivers such as Solon (p.58ff.).

 The differences of opinion about the new constitution's interpretation and application rendered it an “exploding ...