The U.S. Constitution: A Reader Paperback – January 5, 2012

"It will be worthy of a free, enlightened, and, at no distant period, a great Nation, to give to mankind the magnanimous and too novel example of a People always guided by an exalted justice and benevolence."
-George Washington

"The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for, among old parchments, or musty records. They are written, as with a sun beam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the divinity itself; and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power."
-Alexander Hamilton

"The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time; the hand of force may destroy, but cannot disjoin them."
-Thomas Jefferson

"I insist, that if there is anything which it is the duty of the whole people to never entrust to any hands but their own, that thing is the preservation and perpetuity, of their own liberties, and institutions."
-Abraham Lincoln

"If we are to maintain the great heritage which has been bequeathed to us, we must be like-minded as the fathers who created it."
-Calvin Coolidge

"You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We can preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth."
-Ronald Reagan

--Look Inside for more!

What They're Saying:

In The U.S. Constitution: A Reader, the Hillsdale College Politics Faculty have managed to assemble in a single volume the 'greatest hits' of our constitutional heritage. And they have done so in the form of a compelling story about the history of our constitutional enterprise. Our nation's public life would be immensely enriched if every concerned citizen, pundit, and public servant became better acquainted with the rich and fascinating story told herein." --Mike Lee, United States Senator, Utah

"If every federal, state, and local public official took the time to study these documents, the future of freedom in this country would be more secure. Hillsdale has performed an invaluable service to America by making them conveniently available to all."
--Paul Ryan, United States Congressman, First District of Wisconsin

"It would be of great benefit to the country if these documents were required reading for all college and university students."
--Edward Erler, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science at California State University, San Bernardino

With that same mission guiding it today, Hillsdale College has built a national reputation through its maintenance of a classical core curriculum and its principled refusal to accept any federal or state taxpayer subsidies. It also conducts a large outreach effort that promotes civil and religious liberty, including a monthly speech digest, Imprimis, with a current circulation of over two million.