The Founders' Constitution

by Philip B. Kurland (editor), Ralph Lerner (Editor)

A triumph of primary-source research, The Founders’ Constitution is a brilliant five-volume series that presents “extracts from all the leading works of political theory, history, law, and constitutional argument on which the Framers and their contemporaries drew and which they themselves produced.”

The documentary sources and inspirations of The Founders’ Constitution reach to the early seventeenth century and extend through those Amendments to the Constitution that were adopted by 1835.

In cooperation with the University of Chicago Press, Liberty Fund has prepared a new online edition of the entire work at: http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/

Philip B. Kurland was the William R. Kenan, Jr., Distinguished Service Professor in the College and Professor in the Law School, University of Chicago.

Ralph Lerner is the Benjamin Franklin Professor Emeritus in the College, and Professor Emeritus in the Committee on Social Thought, at the University of Chicago.

Genres: Politics, History

3339 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[clara]

my friend’s grandpa wrote this‼️

[Phillip G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this very helpful in understanding the original intent of those who wrote the Constitution. It quotes people who debated the constitution when writing it and then debated it in the ratification process. It also quotes earlier background history and from later court cases. When dialoguing with modern politicians, this is an absolute must in showing original intent. Another resource that is helpful is Chief Justice Stories Commentaries on the Constitution, but this book gives many people's opinions on the meaning of the wording of each clause in the constitution of the USA.

[Erik Hemming · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Work in progress" isn't one of the options available to me in the "read" status...but that's closer to the truth. It's a reference work that I keep retuning to when I feel like I'm not catching the social or political ontogeny of something I'm reading. It works as a reference, a browser's history and a series of thematic expositions. Plus it's just nice to have around for intellectual comfort when dealing with the righteously ill-informed.

[Michelle Palmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for grad school for my Masters of American History and Government.

My biggest issue with this book is that the print is tiny. Also, we were told to buy it and then read about 30 pages (if that) of this 1000 page book and I ended up reading all of those items on the internet because I would have needed a microscope to read the book itself.

If you want a book of resources dealing with the Constitution and have GREAT eyesight, this might be the book for you.

[Don]

Well... didn't really READ all of it... read key selections of only Volume 1 for the Presidential Academy for History & Civics. But it's a great example of reading the real words carries greater impact, particularly when you can see what else came chronologically. Fascinating.

[Craig Bolton]

The Founders' Constitution (5 Volume Set) by Philip B. Kurland (1987)