Essay Database

Founding Brothers By: Joseph J. Ellis Vintage Books During the 1790s, which Ellis calls the most decisive decade in our nation's history, the greatest statesmen of their generation came together to define the new republic and direct its course for the coming centuries. Ellis focuses on six moments that show the most crucial issues facing the fragile new nation: Burr and Hamilton's deadly duel, and what may have really happened. Hamilton, Jefferson, and Madison's secret …

…grasp the reasons behind early politics. Founding Brothers informs our understanding of American politics--then and now, and gives us a new perspective on the unpredictable forces that shape history. The book is a very focussed piece. Because of that the subject matter is better covered. Professor Ellis has written an excellent and very accessible account of this complex story, and I highly recommend it as an aid to understanding the early shaping of American history.