The Founding Fathers: A Very Short Introduction

Nonfiction, History, Americas, United States, Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)
Cover of the book The Founding Fathers: A Very Short Introduction by R. B. Bernstein, Oxford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: R. B. Bernstein ISBN: 9780190273538
Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication: November 16, 2015
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: R. B. Bernstein
ISBN: 9780190273538
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication: November 16, 2015
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

The Founding Fathers is a concise, accessible overview of the brilliant, flawed, and quarrelsome group of lawyers, politicians, merchants, military men, and clergy known as "the Founding Fathers"--who got as close to the ideal of the Platonic "philosopher-kings" as American or world history has ever seen. R. B. Bernstein reveals Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Adams, Hamilton, and the other founders not as shining demigods but as imperfect human beings--people much like us--who nevertheless achieved political greatness. They emerge here as men who sought to transcend their intellectual world even as they were bound by its limits, men who strove to lead the new nation even as they had to defer to the great body of the people and learn with them the possibilities and limitations of politics. Bernstein deftly traces the dynamic forces that molded these men and their contemporaries as British colonists in North America and as intellectual citizens of the Atlantic civilization's Age of Enlightenment. He analyzes the American Revolution, the framing and adoption of state and federal constitutions, and the key concepts and problems that both shaped and circumscribed the founders' achievements as the United States sought its place in the world. Finally, he charts the shifting reputations of the founders and examines the specific ways that interpreters of the Constitution have used the Founding Fathers. A masterly blend of old and new scholarship, brimming with apt description and insightful analysis, this book offers a digestible account of how the Founding Fathers were formed, what they did, and how generations of Americans have viewed them. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The Founding Fathers is a concise, accessible overview of the brilliant, flawed, and quarrelsome group of lawyers, politicians, merchants, military men, and clergy known as "the Founding Fathers"--who got as close to the ideal of the Platonic "philosopher-kings" as American or world history has ever seen. R. B. Bernstein reveals Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Adams, Hamilton, and the other founders not as shining demigods but as imperfect human beings--people much like us--who nevertheless achieved political greatness. They emerge here as men who sought to transcend their intellectual world even as they were bound by its limits, men who strove to lead the new nation even as they had to defer to the great body of the people and learn with them the possibilities and limitations of politics. Bernstein deftly traces the dynamic forces that molded these men and their contemporaries as British colonists in North America and as intellectual citizens of the Atlantic civilization's Age of Enlightenment. He analyzes the American Revolution, the framing and adoption of state and federal constitutions, and the key concepts and problems that both shaped and circumscribed the founders' achievements as the United States sought its place in the world. Finally, he charts the shifting reputations of the founders and examines the specific ways that interpreters of the Constitution have used the Founding Fathers. A masterly blend of old and new scholarship, brimming with apt description and insightful analysis, this book offers a digestible account of how the Founding Fathers were formed, what they did, and how generations of Americans have viewed them. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

More books from Oxford University Press

Cover of the book The Reformation and Wars of Religion in France: Oxford Bibliographies Online Research Guide by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book Urban Youth and Photovoice by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book The Orchestra: A Very Short Introduction by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book Dance as Text by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book Austerity: The History of a Dangerous Idea by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book The Final Revolution by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book The Girl with Red Hair - With Audio Starter Level Oxford Bookworms Library by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book Debating Perseverance by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book The Foundations of Mind by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book Saving Souls, Serving Society by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book A Passion for Nature by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book Flying over the USA: Airplanes in American Life by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book The Making of a Confederate by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book Landscape with Two Saints by R. B. Bernstein
Cover of the book Faith with Benefits by R. B. Bernstein
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy