The Democracy We Must Keep: David Stewart on seven founders, nine documents, and the ideas that shaped them
About this episode
David Stewart discusses the foundational ideas and documents that shaped American democracy.
American independence was not simply the writing of the Declaration of Independence, nor even the vote that approved it. It was the culmination of decades of argument, persuasion, and political innovation. The American founding emerged through a succession of speeches, petitions, resolutions, constitutions, and other documents in which Americans struggled to define liberty, self-government, and the proper limits of power. And the conversation did not end there; it continued, and continues. David Stewart explores that conversation in his new book, The Democracy We Must Keep: Seven Founders, Nine Documents, and the Ideas That Shaped Them . Through a close examination of nine pivotal texts—from Patrick Henry’s call for liberty to Washington’s Farewell Address—Stewart traces the development of the ideas that made the United States possible. In doing so, he reminds us that the American experiment has always depended not only on institutions, but on the ideas, principles, and debates that gave them life. David O. Stewart is a recovering attorney and the author of numerous works of history and fiction. His books include Madison’s Gift: Five Partnerships That Built America and George…
People in this episode
Host: Al Zambone
Guest: David Stewart
Topics covered
- American independence
- founding documents
- liberty
- self-government
- political innovation
- historical debate
Keywords
- American founding
- Declaration of Independence
- political history
- liberty
- self-government
- historical texts
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: The Democracy We Must Keep: Seven Founders, Nine Documents, and the Ideas That Shaped Them, Madison’s Gift: Five Partnerships That Built America, George Washington: The Political Rise of America’s Founding Father
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