Benjamin Franklin is the founding father who winks at us -- an ambitious urban entrepreneur who rose up the social ladder, from leather-aproned shopkeeper to dining with kings. In bestselling author Walter Isaacson's vivid and witty full-scale biography, we discover why Franklin turns to us from history's stage with eyes that twinkle from behind his new-fangled spectacles. In Benjamin Franklin, Isaacson shows how Franklin defines both his own time...

Discusses the circumstances preceding and following the writing of the Declaration of Independence and describes how it was written, approved, and announced.

Describes the history of the U.S. Constitution, its primary functions, how it has changed over the years, and why it is still important today.

In Inventing a Nation, National Book Award winner Gore Vidal transports the reader into the minds, the living rooms (and bedrooms), the convention halls, and the salons of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and others. We come to know these men, through Vidal's splendid prose, in ways we have not up to now-their opinions of each other, their worries about money, their concerns about creating a viable democracy. Vidal brings them to life...

An introduction to the life of Thomas Paine reveals how he left behind his home in England, defying conventions in search of a more fulfilling life using his writing talents.

"Describes the outcome of the Revolutionary War, including the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights"--Provided by publisher.

Discusses the events that lead up to the infamous speech by Patrick Henry.

A historical review of the writing of the Declaration of Independence, the events that led up to its creation, and the influence of its author, Thomas Jefferson, on the final document.