Something That Will Surprise the World: The Essential Writings of the Founding Fathers [first edition]

The Founding Fathers: subject of hundreds of biographies, they are rarely allowed to speak to us in their own words. But it was their words and ideas that mattered most to them. Here, finally, these towering figures come together in one volume-in dialogue with one another, and with us. The Founders were thinking revolutionaries-they read, questioned, debated, and, most of all, wrote. They theorized about government and political institutions; considered the problem of parties and factions; and reflected on religion, education, happiness, and even on love. In this volume, distinguished historian Susan Dunn brings together the Founders' most important letters, speeches, and essays and sets them in the context of their lives and times.