Founders: The People Who Brought You a Nation (The New Press) [Hardcover]

Ray Raphael (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 12, 2009

The story of our nation's founding has been steadily distilled into the triumphs and tribulations of a handful of courageous men. We know them well: Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton, Adams, and Madison--the Founders. Yet the new nation also owed its existence to an entire generation of patriots--those who, in the spirit of those tumultuous times, were fully aware of their own collective participation, their own collective sacrifice.

Now for the first time, bestselling author and master storyteller Ray Raphael relocates the epic in the ordinary to take a provocative new look at the origins of our nation. Deftly intertwining the histories of seven charismatic revolutionaries, FOUNDERS: THE PEOPLE WHO BROUGHT YOU A NATION makes history come alive in all of its complexity and ambiguity. Raphael takes readers on an extraordinary adventure, from the beginnings of unrest in 1761 to the passage of the Bill of Rights thirty years later. No other account of Revolutionary America can match this unique combination of breadth and depth, spirit and balance, nuance and direct personal appeal.

A narrative tour de force, FOUNDERS returns us to the dynamic roots of American patriotism and unearths the story of a nation of the people, for the people, and by the people.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this brisk narrative survey, Raphael offers a history of the events between the outbreak of colonial protest in the 1760s and the ratification of the Constitution in 1788. He does so through the lives of seven people, some, like George Washington, justly celebrated, others obscure. All seven and many others come alive in their acts and words, their stories serving as the spine of the book. No one will come away without a better idea of how social class, ideas, careers, ambitions and plain luck interwove themselves into the revolution carried on by an entire people. Raphael also weaves his tale around such staple themes of American history as the growth of popular sovereignty and westward expansion. From the author of A People's History of the American Revolution, none of this is surprising, nor is the skill of his pen. The book adds nothing to what's already known, but it will delight readers and no doubt add to their knowledge through a tale rarely told so well. 27 b&w illus. (May)
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From School Library Journal

Raphael (A People's History of the American Revolution; Founding Myths) again attempts to give credit to patriots whose contributions to the nation's founding are not celebrated or even widely known. Stars of this entertaining yet informative account include military bankroller Robert Morris, conservative politician and reluctant rebel Henry Laurens, blacksmith-turned-insurgent Timothy Bigelow, young and eager soldier Joseph Plumb Martin, rabble-rousing country doctor Thomas Young, and Puritan poet-turned-political commentator and historian Mercy Otis Warren. The final key player in this narrative is George Washington, and Raphael manages to put a fresh spin on his overly familiar story. The author relies heavily on primary sources, especially diaries, letters, and Martin's and Warren's published works, to craft a highly readable work of popular history that is sure to be a hit among readers who prefer to look at history from a bottom-up perspective. A worthy complement to Raphael's previous works, this is recommended for American history collections in all public libraries.—Douglas King, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 608 pages
• Publisher: New Press, The (May 12, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595583270
• ISBN-13: 978-1595583277
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,081,594 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ray Raphael has taught at a one-room public high school, Humboldt State University, and College of the Redwoods. His twelve books include Founding Myths, A People's History of the American Revolution, and The First American Revolution, all available from The New Press. He lives in Redway, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ten star wonderful book, July 4, 2009

By 

MotherLodeBeth "MotherLodeBeth" (Sierras of California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Founders: The People Who Brought You a Nation (The New Press) (Hardcover)

American history has always been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. What I love about this book that sets it apart from the majority of books on American history and the fight for independence is how Ray Raphael brings to life some of the lesser known men who have by and large been ignored. Like John Dickinson who in 1775, with Jefferson, wrote a Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms. He was one of a few who actually didn't think separating from Britain would be a good thing.

The other men in the book are so interesting to read about since history classes tend to focus on the well known founding fathers. Thus if you want a book that will fill in many a gap per American history this is a must read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended, especially for public and college library American History shelves, December 7, 2010

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Founders: The People Who Brought You a Nation (Paperback)

Founders: The People Who Brought You a Nation is an immensely readable, up-close and personal portrait of seven crucial individuals among a "sampling of Revolutionary Americans", the type of people who are all but overlooked in the wake of legends such as George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. For example, Robert Morris was the wealthy merchant whose personal credit helped keep the emerging nation of America solvent; his critical contribution to America's stability is all but unknown today. The other personages portrayed are private Jospeh Plumb Martin, who served in Washington's army and chronicled his battle experience; Mercy Otis Warren, a political woman who wrote one of the first histories of America; Timothy Bigelow, a blacksmith who resisted British authority the year before Lexington and Concord; conservative Henry Laurens of South Carolina, a prisoner of Britain; Thomas Young, a country doctor who advocated revolution. The quintessential founding father George Washington himself is also portrayed, in this aptly researched, riveting account of a handful of the people who labored and paid with their blood for America's independence. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library American History shelves.

14 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No taxation without representation, May 23, 2009

By 

Dave D. (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Founders: The People Who Brought You a Nation (The New Press) (Hardcover)

Did you know that the American colonists didn't want (at first) independence from England, but to have the same rights as natural born Englishmen? Loyalty to the English Crown ran high, and even after the battles of Lexington and Concord had ended, the Continental Congress had yet to fully consider the idea of independence. Over the centuries complex events get distilled down to, well, essentially myths embodied by a few individuals or events. This history will exorcise some of those myths from your brain while keeping you proud of your country.

In many ways the American Revolution swelled up from the people, not led by the "founding fathers". And that is the angle of Founders. It's a history of the people, for the people!

And, if you cringe when the History channel shows Ice Road Truckers, you might enjoy this book.