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The Founding Fathers Reconsidered
Here is a vividly written and compact 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.
In The Founding Fathers Reconsidered , 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--among them independence, federalism, equality, slavery, and the separation of church and state--that both shaped and
circumscribed the founders' achievements as the United States sought its place in the world.
In The Founding Fathers Reconsidered , 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--among them independence, federalism, equality, slavery, and the separation of church and state--that both shaped and
circumscribed the founders' achievements as the United States sought its place in the world.
238 pages, Hardcover
First published April 3, 2009
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354 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
February 27, 2012
This was a fairly short work that seemed to be a little repetitive but its basic premise needs to be constantly spoken. The first body of politicians that wrote the Constitution were politicians who were trying to create a certain kind of government. There were a number of issues that they could not solve at the time. There were compromises made because they needed to stay united. There was a compromise that eventually led to the Civil War. The current on going debate about original intent has been a debate for more than a hundred years and is not likely to go away. The idea that there was one original intent is sadly misguided and mistaken.
May 29, 2013
I studied history in college and even though I had classes in American history it was not my emphasis. I was always puzzled at American historians because in world history we are so far removed from our subject matter that we find it easier to be clinical in our assessment. In American history classes there was a lot of heat, bias, and and low sense of objectivity. It seemed that once we reached 1776 every one was fair game. The irony is that outside of the university there is a strange kind of worship concerning the founding fathers, and Americans are often unwilling to come to terms with these men and their actual accomplishments. I think that we do not often know who the founding fathers actually are. If one is in doubt then he/she should consider the internet, which is rife with "founding fathers" comments that are either taken out of context or entirely made up. Somewhere between saint and demon there is a proper view of the founders of the American Republic. In this book Dr. Bernstein sets out on a journey to untangle the complex set of views we have about our fathers and to help the reader to honestly evaluate the lives of these America's powerhouses. Dr. Bernstein does a great job and here are some of the reasons why this book is helpful.
A great number of history books that one reads in college are written in such pretentious and haughty way that its only audience will be other historians. As a history teacher, I think that the goal of history books should be to engage people who may not be well-versed in history; I believe that history is for everyone. Dr. Bernstein makes this goal clear from the onset of the book and I was able to see him execute that goal very precisely. This book is not "dumbed down" but it is not so high and mighty that it will be off-putting to non-historians. He is an excellent storyteller and he has easy way that gradually pulls the reader into the center of the events he is describing. The characters that he is introducing (or perhaps re-introducing) are brought out in an authentic way that helps the reader to grasp the basic qualities that define this individual and their role in the creation of the American experience in democracy. His points are clear and concise which makes the book easy to navigate; I always knew what he meant and what point he wanted to make and that is an excellent quality that many writers do not possess.
The book was well-researched as is evident by his bibliography and the litany of primary as well as secondary sources that he used. The primary sources are important because he is trying to make some basic points about the founders that must be corroborated because they are not the common views. There is often a perspective that the founding fathers were in agreement about the kind of nation that they hoped to create. There is narrative that he calls "founders chic" which places the fathers as uniform and resolute about the America they hoped to leave us; it is this view that is often promoted in modern politics. He seems to essentially argue that the America that we are living in IS the America that the founding fathers left us. The debates we are having are the ones that we have been having since the Constitutional Convention as the founders did not leave us with a singular vision of America, but with multiple visions of America. We don't agree today in part because they could not agree then. Hamilton's bustling national power vs. Jefferson's agrarian nation is still at the heart of the issues that we face. One of my own professors would say that we are living in "Hamilton's America with Jefferson values." In other words, we are not living in an aberrant America, but in the one that they left for us. I think the issues we face today are of course much more complicated because a lot of political thought has been developed since the 18th-19th centuries.
I love his review of how the founding fathers have risen and fallen in the perception of the American public. Jefferson and Hamilton seem to take turns being revered or vilified by historians and the people; although, I think that Hamilton drew the short-end of the stick. Washington is typically unscathed and not so much because he is so ethical (although he was a good man) but because he is enshrouded in American origins myth. Adams has been virtually ignored or painted in a negative light till David McCullough attempted to salvage his image. One thing I was uncertain about was how Dr. Bernstein viewed Dr. McCullough. It is clear that he thinks McCullough feeds into the "founders chic," but it is not clear whether he considers him to be a valuable contributor to historical thought. I happen to like Dr. McCullough and although I see Dr. Bernstein's point, I think Dr. McCullough is someone that cannot be dismissed. I don't think that Dr. Bernstein would suggest doing so. Madison and Jay are two of the founders who have the least analysis and remain unexplored; especially Jay. Franklin like Washington is protected and revered to the point that he is more myth than man.
All in all, I was happy with this book even though much of the information was more of a brush-up for me. I appreciate that he discussed the weaknesses, indecision, and indiscretions of the founders without completely obliterating their contributions to world history. This is truly a view from a moderate position and because of that I can respect Dr. Bernstein. I have often compared American history to the view that a boy has about his father. When a boy is young he often idolizes his father in a very naive way. As he grows independent he can find himself in contrast to his father as he sees him as a man with flaws and he attempts to set up an identity that may be different from his Dad's. In time, the boy will often come back knowing that his father isn't perfect but wanting to be like him anyway. I think America has been in the first stage for some time. In recent years America has taken a hard look at the founders and sometimes came up disappointed. I hope that as nation we come back to the view of a mature individual who appreciates the good and discards the other. I think that is what Dr. Bernstein accomplishes here and I hope that his tribe will increase in the future.
1 star = Readability. 1 star = Objectivity. 1 star = Bibliography. 1 star = Good Research.
A great number of history books that one reads in college are written in such pretentious and haughty way that its only audience will be other historians. As a history teacher, I think that the goal of history books should be to engage people who may not be well-versed in history; I believe that history is for everyone. Dr. Bernstein makes this goal clear from the onset of the book and I was able to see him execute that goal very precisely. This book is not "dumbed down" but it is not so high and mighty that it will be off-putting to non-historians. He is an excellent storyteller and he has easy way that gradually pulls the reader into the center of the events he is describing. The characters that he is introducing (or perhaps re-introducing) are brought out in an authentic way that helps the reader to grasp the basic qualities that define this individual and their role in the creation of the American experience in democracy. His points are clear and concise which makes the book easy to navigate; I always knew what he meant and what point he wanted to make and that is an excellent quality that many writers do not possess.
The book was well-researched as is evident by his bibliography and the litany of primary as well as secondary sources that he used. The primary sources are important because he is trying to make some basic points about the founders that must be corroborated because they are not the common views. There is often a perspective that the founding fathers were in agreement about the kind of nation that they hoped to create. There is narrative that he calls "founders chic" which places the fathers as uniform and resolute about the America they hoped to leave us; it is this view that is often promoted in modern politics. He seems to essentially argue that the America that we are living in IS the America that the founding fathers left us. The debates we are having are the ones that we have been having since the Constitutional Convention as the founders did not leave us with a singular vision of America, but with multiple visions of America. We don't agree today in part because they could not agree then. Hamilton's bustling national power vs. Jefferson's agrarian nation is still at the heart of the issues that we face. One of my own professors would say that we are living in "Hamilton's America with Jefferson values." In other words, we are not living in an aberrant America, but in the one that they left for us. I think the issues we face today are of course much more complicated because a lot of political thought has been developed since the 18th-19th centuries.
I love his review of how the founding fathers have risen and fallen in the perception of the American public. Jefferson and Hamilton seem to take turns being revered or vilified by historians and the people; although, I think that Hamilton drew the short-end of the stick. Washington is typically unscathed and not so much because he is so ethical (although he was a good man) but because he is enshrouded in American origins myth. Adams has been virtually ignored or painted in a negative light till David McCullough attempted to salvage his image. One thing I was uncertain about was how Dr. Bernstein viewed Dr. McCullough. It is clear that he thinks McCullough feeds into the "founders chic," but it is not clear whether he considers him to be a valuable contributor to historical thought. I happen to like Dr. McCullough and although I see Dr. Bernstein's point, I think Dr. McCullough is someone that cannot be dismissed. I don't think that Dr. Bernstein would suggest doing so. Madison and Jay are two of the founders who have the least analysis and remain unexplored; especially Jay. Franklin like Washington is protected and revered to the point that he is more myth than man.
All in all, I was happy with this book even though much of the information was more of a brush-up for me. I appreciate that he discussed the weaknesses, indecision, and indiscretions of the founders without completely obliterating their contributions to world history. This is truly a view from a moderate position and because of that I can respect Dr. Bernstein. I have often compared American history to the view that a boy has about his father. When a boy is young he often idolizes his father in a very naive way. As he grows independent he can find himself in contrast to his father as he sees him as a man with flaws and he attempts to set up an identity that may be different from his Dad's. In time, the boy will often come back knowing that his father isn't perfect but wanting to be like him anyway. I think America has been in the first stage for some time. In recent years America has taken a hard look at the founders and sometimes came up disappointed. I hope that as nation we come back to the view of a mature individual who appreciates the good and discards the other. I think that is what Dr. Bernstein accomplishes here and I hope that his tribe will increase in the future.
1 star = Readability. 1 star = Objectivity. 1 star = Bibliography. 1 star = Good Research.
July 13, 2014
It was an easy read. The only reason it took so long is that I tend to consume a lot of audio books as I don't get near as much time to sit down with a real book. Overall, it only took a few hours of reading. I did read all the footnotes, and I got lots of ideas for interesting follow on reads. What I learned was when the whole concept of "Founding Fathers" developed. I've been reading a lot on other topics which relate to the "Founding Fathers" and the Constitution. This book did have me reconsider, and to challenge where I've run with unsubstantiated beliefs for years. I was also reminded of the problems with original intent in Constitutional arguments. It always seems like a good idea; however, being reminded of the Dred Scott decision is reason enough to question the method. I also appreciated the idea, that the more we look to the Founders as final arbiters of all decisions, and make them fonts of infinite wisdom, the more foolish we all are. We do need to decide things like what the 4th Amendment protections mean in a connected digital age, for one example. Privacy was so much more clear when you had to physically intercept a letter, or enter someones house to go through their papers. Thanks Richard!
March 11, 2018
I found this book to totally waste my time. It was left , liberal in writing and did not discuss , who the founders were. It left out critical statements and stands of most of the founding fathers true, deep beliefs of the God they almost all quoted , referred to and acknowledged as either being deeply part of our Government , (at that time) and the willing statements and acknowledging of a Higher Power, referencing God, even , The Lord. Why would you leave something out so important to the founding fathers core beliefs ?
Enough literature that supports what I have said as compared to arguments that the fathers were Humanist , Secularist, Diest or even Agnostics or Atheists. Reading this book leaves you wondering if they were all of the later descriptions. Not only does this book leave my library of over 800 books , many on this subject, but I sent it back to the dealer when I finished it .....The only thing that I can say about the book that is good is the last word of the title...RECONSIDER.... "Try the spirits and see if they be of God". This author has failed to bring anything to point to the founding fathers as good , and Godly men. Rather makes them appear as imprudent , ignorant of any Creation or God , and leaves them as depending upon there own devices and own beliefs , even to pointing that there is no God. I am sorry , but probably one of the most discouraging works I have read , next to Voltaire and his thoughts on God.
Enough literature that supports what I have said as compared to arguments that the fathers were Humanist , Secularist, Diest or even Agnostics or Atheists. Reading this book leaves you wondering if they were all of the later descriptions. Not only does this book leave my library of over 800 books , many on this subject, but I sent it back to the dealer when I finished it .....The only thing that I can say about the book that is good is the last word of the title...RECONSIDER.... "Try the spirits and see if they be of God". This author has failed to bring anything to point to the founding fathers as good , and Godly men. Rather makes them appear as imprudent , ignorant of any Creation or God , and leaves them as depending upon there own devices and own beliefs , even to pointing that there is no God. I am sorry , but probably one of the most discouraging works I have read , next to Voltaire and his thoughts on God.
December 27, 2019
Tres bon livre qui remet en contexte la rédaction difficile de la constitution américaine. Surement bien classé par les Américains. Ces derniers ont une vénération pour leurs institutions et leurs figures historiques qui frise l'idolatrie. Ce livre n'y échappe pas et agacera sans doute les non Américains.
April 2, 2024
enjoyed the candor of bernstein’s historical analysis of the founding fathers. wished there was a more extensive coverage of their flaws but the point that these were complex mixed individuals came across well
December 15, 2019
Revisionist history at its best.
Read
December 26, 2020the writer really knows how to make people think...
February 29, 2024
Ngl I love this shit
August 29, 2025
Very concise overview of latest historian's view of the Founding Fathers and the Revolution.
Want to read
November 3, 2025Nook
June 29, 2022
The Founding Fathers Reconsidered
By
R. B. Bernstein
This work of historical nonfiction makes the reader reconsider many things about those famous personages known as the “founding fathers”. In measured words, the author looks carefully at many sides of the issues they dealt with. He arrives at some interesting and thought-provoking conclusions and brings us along with him.
He begins with the origin of the term “founding fathers.” It is credited to Senator Warren G. Harding in a speech in 1916. No matter what name they were called, it applies to those who helped found the United States. The members of this group can be disputed and have been, but they influenced many generations worldwide.
Bernstein turns to the history that turned these people into “founding fathers”. How did each embody the American experience of being a colonist under English rule? What intellectual concepts motivated them to desire something new?
He describes the state of the American colonies – their economies, their size, their population, their degree of self-governance. Bernstein notes the differences in the way each founder was raised and what opinions they developed over time.
The author goes on to discuss the history that each of them made personally. Most were important persons in their own colonies prior to the Revolution. During the push for independence, they led their colonies and kept their eyes on the goal.
They chased the need for new state constitutions, colony by colony, after independence was declared. The Articles of Confederation, under which they began to govern as a nation, proved imperfect. They struggled to create a new constitution, one which could hold the individual states together as a new country.
Fights over federalism, church and state, politics, and other things challenged the founders. They dug deep to get through these thorny issues and forge ahead.
Bernstein spends quality time on the description of what the legacies of the founders are. Things have changed over time – we think well of some founders, less of others. But it teeters back and forth over time.
One of the most fascinating parts of this book for me were the “original intent” passages. The author makes a convincing argument about the way “original intent” has been interpreted through time. It has even been used on both sides of the same argument to prove opposite points!
I enjoyed this read and would recommend it to anyone interested in early American history.
By
R. B. Bernstein
This work of historical nonfiction makes the reader reconsider many things about those famous personages known as the “founding fathers”. In measured words, the author looks carefully at many sides of the issues they dealt with. He arrives at some interesting and thought-provoking conclusions and brings us along with him.
He begins with the origin of the term “founding fathers.” It is credited to Senator Warren G. Harding in a speech in 1916. No matter what name they were called, it applies to those who helped found the United States. The members of this group can be disputed and have been, but they influenced many generations worldwide.
Bernstein turns to the history that turned these people into “founding fathers”. How did each embody the American experience of being a colonist under English rule? What intellectual concepts motivated them to desire something new?
He describes the state of the American colonies – their economies, their size, their population, their degree of self-governance. Bernstein notes the differences in the way each founder was raised and what opinions they developed over time.
The author goes on to discuss the history that each of them made personally. Most were important persons in their own colonies prior to the Revolution. During the push for independence, they led their colonies and kept their eyes on the goal.
They chased the need for new state constitutions, colony by colony, after independence was declared. The Articles of Confederation, under which they began to govern as a nation, proved imperfect. They struggled to create a new constitution, one which could hold the individual states together as a new country.
Fights over federalism, church and state, politics, and other things challenged the founders. They dug deep to get through these thorny issues and forge ahead.
Bernstein spends quality time on the description of what the legacies of the founders are. Things have changed over time – we think well of some founders, less of others. But it teeters back and forth over time.
One of the most fascinating parts of this book for me were the “original intent” passages. The author makes a convincing argument about the way “original intent” has been interpreted through time. It has even been used on both sides of the same argument to prove opposite points!
I enjoyed this read and would recommend it to anyone interested in early American history.
April 21, 2011
Interesting tour through the times of the formation of our country, but I didn't gain as much insight into the characters of the founding fathers as I expected. More about the ideas they struggled with and the lasting impact of their documents instead of personalities in more detail. Deteriorates toward the end when it gets into "Legacies." I guess the problem is that I wanted a different book than the author wanted to write.
January 12, 2013
Book was far too short to cover its material well.
Also, I felt it didn't bring anything new to the discussion. The founding fathers were not perfect. Everybody knows this. Moreover, after reading this I do not feel as I know the founding fathers better.
However, this book does contain some very interesting facts like who coined the term "founding fathers." This is also an easy read.
My score is somewhere between 2 and 3.
Also, I felt it didn't bring anything new to the discussion. The founding fathers were not perfect. Everybody knows this. Moreover, after reading this I do not feel as I know the founding fathers better.
However, this book does contain some very interesting facts like who coined the term "founding fathers." This is also an easy read.
My score is somewhere between 2 and 3.
July 11, 2013
A reasonable overview of the founding fathers (and mothers), the ideas and issues they battled with, political climate at the time and brief history of how the nation thinks of and reveres the founding fathers over time. A little repetitive.
A good primer for those who haven't read many revolutionary war biographies to better understand the timing and dynamics of the founding of these(the) United States.
Or you could rent 1776 on DVD.
A good primer for those who haven't read many revolutionary war biographies to better understand the timing and dynamics of the founding of these(the) United States.
Or you could rent 1776 on DVD.
April 26, 2015
Good overview of the founding fathers and their choices & actions in framing the Constitution and America. My only complaint is with the title of the book. There really isn't anything "new" being presented in this book to "reconsider." Still, the material was presented well and the book was pretty engaging. I would recommend a read.
August 16, 2015
A good, accessible introduction to the complexity of the people and era when the U.S. was founded. I particularly liked the discussions surrounding "original intent" interpretation of the Constitution. I felt like it just touched the surface, but to go further would probably have made for a much longer book, and perhaps have discouraged those with a more casual interest in history.
October 4, 2015
YOOO.
I'm done. PRAISE. Now I have to write a paper >.<
On the slightly more serious side, I really enjoyed reading this book. I learned a lot about the founding fathers and how the constitution was formed... and I really appreciate that it opened up a less ideal and a more realistic/pragmatic vantage point.
I'm done. PRAISE. Now I have to write a paper >.<
On the slightly more serious side, I really enjoyed reading this book. I learned a lot about the founding fathers and how the constitution was formed... and I really appreciate that it opened up a less ideal and a more realistic/pragmatic vantage point.
August 6, 2010
Not as good as his Jefferson book, this book is a very quick and dirty introduction to some of the founders. My biggest complaint is that it seems a bit purposeless. The information isn't bad, but I'm sure you can get most of it from reading his Jefferson book.
February 17, 2012
Anyone who is inclined to read this book will not learn anything that he or she did not already know. "The Founding Fathers Re-written About" would have been a more fitting title.
March 4, 2012
I really, really wanted to read this, but it was just a bit too dense for my old head. May try it again one day.
July 1, 2012
Very timely book. More of us need to read this with all the banter thrown around about "founding fathers" and "original intent."
June 4, 2012
An excellent summary of the importance of the founding generation.
May 12, 2013
Interesting picture pf the people who stood for the new America
Read
January 30, 2016Excellent analysis which dispels common myths. A sort but compelling read
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews