Our Founding Fathers, Our Constitution
and OurAmerican History
RECOMMENDED READING/RESOURCES FOR
OUR CONSTITUTION CLASSES
(If you would like a copy of this list in Word format, please email
your request to: lynn.ccta@gmail.com.)
CONSTITUTION 101: “The Meaning and History of the Constitution”
A 10-weed online course from HILLSDALE COLLEGE beginning February 20, 2012. All Hillsdale College students are required to complete a one-semester course on the United States Constitution as part of their core requirements. Now, all citizens have an opportunity to study with the same Hillsdale Professors.
LECTURERS: Larry P. Arnn, President and Professor of Politics; Thomas G. West, Professor of Politics; Will Morrisey, William and Patricia LaMothe Professor in the U.S. Constitution; Kevin Portteus, Assistant Professor of Politics; David Bobb, Director, Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship.
REGISTER NOW—No charge at http://constitution.hillsdale.edu/
NATIONAL CENTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL STUDIES: http://www.nccs.net/ is a great resource for information and study products. Be sure and check out the DVD: A More Perfect Union. Become an eyewitness to the Constitutional Convention of 1787. This stirring 2-hour film will bring the Founding Fathers to life as you witness the struggles and the miracles that produced the Constitution of the United States and the freest nation on earth.
"The American Classic Series" (Available from the NCCS website) as a bundle or individually, is a series dedicated to helping Americans understand and appreciate the Founders and the remarkable system of free government which they gave us. Discover who these great men really were in The Real George Washington, The Real Thomas Jefferson, and The Real Benjamin Franklin. (Also, available at Amazon.com for a little more.)
THE JOHN LOCKE FOUNDATION (http://www.johnlocke.org/)
has more resources and sponsors “A Citizens’ Constitutional Workshop” , check their website for workshops in your area.
(http://johnlocke.org/site-docs/research/CCW/index.html).
“Proceedings and Debates of the Convention of North Carolina, Convened at Hillsborough on Monday the 21st Day of July 1788: for the Purpose of Deliberating and Determining on the Constittuion Recommended by the General Convention at Philadelphia the 17th Day of September, 1787: To Which is Prefixed the Said Constitution (Edenton, NC, 1789). Can be found online at: http://www.northcarolinahistory.org/commentary/276/entry
HILLSDALE COLLEGE: http://www.hillsdale.edu/
Often offers online webseminars for free, and has great resources! Be sure and sign up to receive Imprimis, the free monthly speech digest of Hillsdale College and is dedicated to educating citizens and promoting civil and religious liberty by covering cultural, economic, political and educational issues of enduring significance. The content of Imprimis is drawn from speeches delivered to Hillsdale College-hosted events, both on-campus and off-campus. First published in 1972, Imprimis is one of the most widely circulated opinion publications in the nation with over two million subscribers.
WallBuilders: http://www.wallbuilders.com/
David Barton has been a leader in educating the public on our Founding Fathers and Founding Documents. WallBuilders is an organization dedicated to presenting America's forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on the moral, religious, and constitutional foundation on which America was built – a foundation which, in recent years, has been seriously attacked and undermined. In accord with what was so accurately stated by George Washington, we believe that "the propitious [favorable] smiles of heaven can never be expected on a nation which disregards the eternal rules of order and right which heaven itself has ordained."
BOOKS ON OUR CONSTITUTION AND HISTORY
BOOKS ON OUR CONSTITUTION AND HISTORY
ALLISON, ANDREW M., The Real Benjamin Franklin, National Center for Constitutional Studies, 1982 **
ALLISON, MAXFIELD, COOK, SKOUSEN, The Real Thomas Jefferson, National Center for Constitutional Studies, 1991. **
ALLISON, PARRY, SKOUSEN, The Real George Washington, National Center for Constitutional Studies, 1991 **
BADNARIK, MICHAEL, Good to Be King: The Foundation of Our Constitutional Freedom, The Writer’s Collective, 2004
BARNETT, RANDY E., Restoring the lost Constitution: The Presumption of Liberty, Princeton University Press, 2004
BARTON, DAVID,
• Original Intent: The Courts, the Constitution, & Religion, WallBuilders Press; 5th edition, 2008.
• Separation of Church and State: What the Founders Meant. Texas: WallBuilders, 2007.
BECK, GLENN,
• Glenn Beck’s Common Sense: The Case Against an Out-of-Control Government, Inspired by Thomas Paine. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2009.
• Being George Washington, The Indispensable Man, as You’ve Never Seen Him, Threshold Editions/Mercury Radio Arts, 2011 ***
BECK, GLENN with JOSHUA CHARLES. The Original Argument, The Federalists’ Case for the Constitution, Adapted for the 21st Century. New York: Threshold Editions, 2011.
BELZ, HERMAN, Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law In America, The Heritage Foundation, 2009
BENNETT, WILLIAM J.
• America: The Last Best Hope, Thomas Nelson, 2006
• Our Country’s Founders: A Book of Advice for Young People. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 2001.
• Our Sacred Honor: Words of Advice from the Founders in Stories, Letters, Poems, and Speeches. New York: Simon &; Schuster, 1997.
BROOKHISER, RICHARD,
• Founding Father: Rediscovering George Washington, Free Press, 1997
• What Would the Founders Do?: Our Questions, Their Answers, Perseus Books Group, 2007
BROUSSARD, JAMES H., The Southern Federalists, 1800-1816, Louisiana State University Press, 1978
BUCHANAN, PAT, The Death of the West: How Dying Populations and Immigrant Invasions Imperil Our Country and Civilization. New York: Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin’s Griffin, 2002.
De TOCQUEVILLE, Democracy in America, Penguin Classics (July 1, 2003)
DILORENZO, THOMAS J., Hamilton’s Curse: How Jefferson’s Arch Enemy Betrayed the American Revolution-and What it Means for Americans Today. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2008.
EPSTEIN, RICHARD A., How Progressives Rewrote the Constitution. Washington, DC: Cato Institute, 2006.
FOLSOM, BURTON, JR., New Deal or Raw Deal, How FDR’s Economic Legacy Has Damaged America, Threshold Editions, 2008
FRIEDMAN, MILTON, Capitalism and Freedom, University of Chicago Press, 40th Anniversary Edition, 2002
FRIEDMAN, MILTON, and FRIEDMAN, ROSE, Free to Choose: A Personal Statement, Mariner Books, 1990
GRAGG, ROD, The Declaration of Independence; The Story behind America’s Founding. Nashville: Rutledge Hill Press, 2005.
HAYEK, F.A. and EDITED BY BRUCE CALDWELL, The Road to Serfdom: Text and Documents—The Definitive Edition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2007.
HAMILTON, MADISON and JAY, The Federalist Papers, SoHo Books, 2011
HOOVER, J. EDGAR, Masters of Deceit. Henry Holt, Inc., 1958 (Mr. Hoover was Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation). The “Pocket Book” I have in paperback published by New York, Simon & Shuster, Inc., 1968.
HUNTER, EDWARD. Brainwashing, (The True and Terrible Story of the Men Who Endured and Defied the Most Diabolical Red Torture). New York, Pyramid Publications, Inc., 1964.
HOLMES, DAVID L., The Faiths of the Founding Fathers. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
HOOK, SIDNEY, Introduction and FRUCHTMAN, JACK, JR. Forward to the 200th Anniversary Edition of Common Sense, Rights of Man and other Essential Writings of Thomas Paine, Penguin Group, 2003
KAUFMANN, Bill, Forgotten Founder, Drunken Prophet: The Life of Luther Martin, Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 2008
KETCHUM, RALPH, The Anti-Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates (Edited and with an Introduction by Ralph Ketchum). New York: Signet Classic, Penguin Group, 2003.
KIRK, Russell, The Conservative Constitution, Regnery Publishing, 1991
LABUNSKI, RICHARD, James Madison and the Struggle for the Bill of Rights, Oxford University Press, 2006
Lee, C.A. (our own Cheryl Switzer), Shifting Culture: Revival, Revolution or Ruin, CreateSpace, 2011 ***
LEE, DR. RICHARD G., The American Patriot’s Bible: The Word of God and the Shaping of America. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc. 2009.
LEVIN, MARK R., Men in Black: How the Supreme Court is Destroying America. Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing, 2005.
LEVY, ROBERT A. and MELLOR, WILLIAM, The Dirty Dozen, How Twelve Supreme Court Cases Radically expanded Government and Eroded Freedom. Cato Institute, Washington DC, 2008.
LONG, HAMILTON ABERT, The American Ideal of 1776: The Twelve Basic American Principles. Pennsylvania: Your Heritage Books, 1976.
MARINI, JOHN, The Progressive Revolution in Politics and Political Science: Transforming the American Regime, Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2004
McARTHUR, MERLE and SINCLAIR, ANNABLE DOUGLAS, They Signed for Us. Duell, Sloan & Pearce, 1962
McCLANAHAN, BRION, The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Founding Fathers, Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing, 2009.
McCULLOUGH, DAVID, 1776. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2005
McCLELLAN, JAMES, Liberty, Order, and Justice: An Introduction to the Constitutional Principles of American Government, Liberty Fund, 2000
McDONALD, FORREST, Empire and Nation, Liberty Fund, 2nd Edition, 1999
McDOWELL, GARY L., Language of Law and the Foundations of American Constitutionalism, New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010.
MEESE III, EDWIN, The Heritage Guide to the Constitution. Washington, DC: The Heritage Foundation, 2005.
MURPHY, ROBERT P., The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Great Depression and the New Deal, Regnery Publishing 2009
NAPOLITANO, JUDGE ANDREW P.,
• A Nation of Sheep. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2007.
• Constitutional Chaos, Constitution in Exile, a Nation of Sheep (Three Empowering Books in One Volume). Thomas Nelson (2007)
• Constitutional Chaos: What Happens When the Government Breaks Its Own Laws. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2006.
• Dred Scott’s Revenge: A Legal History of Race and Freedom in America. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009.
• Lies the Government Told You: Myth, Power, and Deception in American History. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2010.
• It Is Dangerous to Be Right When the Government Is Wrong: The Case for Personal Freedom. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2011.The Constitution in Exile: How the Federal Government Has Seized Power by Rewriting the Supreme Law of the Land. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2007. ***
PEACOCK, ANTHONY A., How to Read the Federalist Papers, The Heritage Foundation, 2010
PESTRITTO, RONALD J.,
• American Progressivism: A Reader, Lexington Books, 2008
• Modern America and the Legacy of Founding, Lexington Books, 2004
• Woodrow Wilson, and the Roots of Modern Liberalism, Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2005
PRICE, WILLIAM S. JR., Not A Conquered People: Two Carolinians View Parliamentary Taxation, North Carolina Bicentennial Pamphlet Series, 1975
REED, LEONARD, I, Pencil, The Freeman, December 1958. Published by the Foundation for Economic Education
ROBINSON, BLACKWELL P., Willie Jones of Halifax, North Carolina Historical Review 28 (January, April 1947) 1-26, 133-170
SCHWARZ, DR. FRED, You Can Trust the Communists (to be Communists). New York: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1960 (First paperback, 1961).
SCHWEIKART, LARRY,
• 48 Liberal Lies About American History: That You Probably Learned in School, Sentinel Trade, 2009
• Seven Events That Made America America: And Proved That the Founding Fathers Were Right All Along, Sentinel Trade; Reprint edition, 2011
SCHWEIKART, LARRY and ALLEN, MICHAEL, Patriot's History of the USA, From Columbus’s Great Discovery to the War on Terror, Penguin Group, 2004
SCOTT, KYLE, The Price of Politics: Lessons from Kelo v. City of New London, Lexington Books, 2009.
SKOUSEN, W. CLEON,
• The Five Thousand Year Leap: 28 Great Ideas That Changed the World, Forward by Glenn Beck, Revised 30 Yr Anniversary Edition, Tennessee: American Documents Publishing, 2009.
• The Making of America: The Substance and Meaning of the Constitution. New York: Penguin Group, 1985. (Available from the NCCS website and Amazon.com)
SPALDING, MATTHEW,
• The Founders’ Almanac: A Practical Guide to the Notable Events, Greatest Leaders and Most Eloquent Words of the American Founding, Heritage Books, 2004
• We Still Hold These Truths: Rediscovering Our Principles, Reclaiming Our Future, Intercollegiate Studies Institute; 2nd Edition 2010
STORING, HERBERT J., What the Anti-Federalists Were For: The Political Thought of the Opponents of the Constitution, University of Chicago Press, 1985
TRENHOLME, LOUISE IRBY, The Ratification of the Federal Constitution in North Carolina, Columbia University Press, 1932 (online edition at http://www.questia.com/)
WEST, THOMAS G., Vindicating the Founders: Race, Sex, Class and Justice in the Origins of America, Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 1997
WHICHARD, WILLIS P., Justice James Irdell, Carolina Academic Press, 2000
WOODS JR., THOMAS E.,
• 33 Questions About American History You’re Not Supposed to Ask, New York: Crown Publishing/Random House, 2007.
• Nullification: How to Resist Federal Tyranny in the 21st Century, Regnery Press, 2010
• The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History. Washington, D.C.: Regnery Publishing, 2004.
WOODS JR., THOMAS E. and GUTZMAN, KEVIN R., Who Killed the Constitution?: The Federal Government vs. American Liberty from World War I to Barack Obama. New York: Three Rivers Press/Random House, 2008.
** "The American Classic Series"— A series dedicated to helping Americans understand and appreciate the Founders and the remarkable system of free government which they gave us. Discover who these great men really were in The Real George Washington, The Real Thomas Jefferson, and The Real Benjamin Franklin. Available individually or as a set from the National Center for Constitutional Studies http://www.nccsstore.com/ and individually from Amazon.com.
*** New, hot and read now!
ARTICLES
BROWN, BRIAN, Extended Republic of Centralized Nation-State? Herbert Croly, Progressivism and the Decline of Civic Engagement, The Heritage Foundation, First Principles Series Report #27, 2009. Brown argues that “transforming domestic policy into a climatic struggle between the national government and every conceivable social ill” like poverty or drug use “eliminated civil society from the picture…and thus guaranteed that the war would be impossible to win.”
KESLER, CHARLES, What Separation of Powers Means for Constitutional Government, The Heritage Foundation, First Principles Series Report #17, 2007. Kesler explains the founders’ reasoning behind separating government powers and gives a description of the successful progressive assault on constitutional checks and balances and the rise of the central state.
LAWSON, GARY, Limited Government, Unlimited Administration: Is it Possible to Restore Constitutionalism? The Heritage Foundation, First Principles Series Report #23, 2009. Lawson examines the constitutional foundations for key enumerated powers of the federal government and shows how important historical events that have caused them to erode over time.
LEE, DWIGHT, The Political Economy of the U.S. Constitution, The Freeman, Volume 37, issue 2, 1987. Lee offers evidence that the U.S. Constitution was written with limited government, not democracy, in mind. By using competing governmental powers, the founding fathers turned the strength of government on itself.
MCLAY, WILFRED, The Idea of Change in American Politics: Meaningful Concept or Empty Promise? The Heritage Foundation, First Principles Series Report #21, 2008. In light of the 2008 Presidential election, McClay looks at the idea of change in American history and argues that “we should resist the grandiose invocation of themes of constant transformational change.”
NOVAK, MICHAEL, Faith and the American Founding: Illustrating Religion‘s Influence, The Heritage Foundation, First Principles Series Report #7, 2006. Novak draws on the history of the U.S. revolution and found to argue that religion was integral to the establishment and maintenance of liberty.
PESTRITTO, RONALD J., The Birth of the Administrative State: Where it Came From and What it Means for Limited Government, The Heritage Foundation, First Principles Series, #16, 2007. Pestritto explains that limited governmental authority and the separation of powers protect the rule of law. The rise of progressive thinking has degraded both of these protections and has lead to arbitrary bureaucratic rule.
RAICO, RALPH, The European Miracle, Mises Daily, Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2006. Raico explains how free enterprise contributed to the rise of Europe. Competing political systems and decentralization were among the preconditions that allowed it to flourish.
SIRICO, ROBERT, The Moral Basis for Economic Liberty, The Heritage Foundation, First Principles Series Report #30, 2010. Sirico argues that there is an inherent and mutually reinforcing connection between economic liberty and moral virtue.
WEST, THOMAS and SHAMBRA, WILLIAM, The Progressive Movement and the Transformation of American Politics, The Heritage Foundation, First Principles Series Report #12, 2007. West portrays progressivism as a rejection of the foundation of the American political system. Specifically, it rejects natural law, voluntary association as the basis of society, a limited purpose of government, religion as a beneficial social institution, and a constrained foreign policy.
WHITTINGTON, KEITH, How to Read the Constitution: Self-Government and the Jurisprudence of Originalism, The Heritage Foundation, First Principles Series Report #5, 2006. Whittington advocates that since the U.S. Constitution is law, it ought to interpreted in a manner in accordance with its original intent.
RECOMENNDED READING FOR
CHILDREN AND YOUTH
BENNETT, WILLIAM J.,
• Our Country’s Founders: A Book of Advice for Young People, Simon Pulse, 2001.
• The Children’s Book of Heroes, Simon and Shuster, 1997
• The Children’s Book of Virtues, Simon and Shuster, 1995
BENNETT, WILLIAM J., FINN JR., CHESTER E., AND CRIBB, JR., JOHN T.E., The Educated Child: A Parent’s Guide from Preschool Through Eighth Grade, Simon and Shuster, 1999
CHENEY, LYNNE V., AND FIOR, PETER M., When Washington Crossed the Delaware: A Wintertime Story for Young Patriots, Simon and Shuster Children’s Publishing, 2004 (Ages 6 and up)
CHENEY, LYNNE V., AND GLASSER, ROBIN PREISS,
• America: A Patriotic Primer, Simon and Shuster Children’s Publishing, 2002 (Ages 5 and up)
• A is for Abigail: An Almanac of Amazing American Women, Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers; First Edition first Printing edition, 2003
• Our 50 States: A Family Adventure Across America, Simon and Shuster Children’s Publishing, 2006 (Ages 6 and up)
CHENEY, LYNNE V., AND HARLIN, GREG , We the People: The Story of Our Constitution, Simon and Shuster Children’s Publishing, 2008 (Ages 8 and up)
DeBRECHT, KATHARINE, and HUMMEL, JIM,
- Help! Mom! Hollywood’s in my Hamper, Kids Ahead, 2006 (Ages 4 and up)
- Help! Mom! There are Liberals Under My Bed!, Kids Ahead, 2005 (Ages 4 and up)
- Help! Mom! The 9th Circuit Nabbed the Nativity, Kids Ahead, 2006 (Ages 4 and up)
GINGRICH, CALLISTA, Sweet Land of Liberty, Regnery Publishing, 2011 (Ages 4-8)
LEE, DR. RICHARD G., The American Patriots Bible: The Word of God and the Shaping of America, Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2009
MORRIS, DICK, AND MCGANN, EILEEN, Dubs Goes to Washington: And Discovers the Greatness of America, CreateSpace, 2011 (Ages 4-8)
Find more recommended reading as well as web resources at http://cctaxpayers.blogspot.com
CCTA Website: http://www.cctaxpayers.com
