Rating: 
Summary: West is good
Review: West is trying to understand the founder's on their terms and not ours. He correctly points out huge mistakes in secondary and college textbooks. He quotes inaccurate textbooks and then shows, using the founders writings, why views often stated in these texts are wrong.West is trying the be descriptive about the Founder's views. He is not trying to agree or disagree with the Founder's views, and then conclude with a bunch of "we should do this" kind of statements. He leaves judgment of the founder's ideologies on philosophical grounds for other venues. He is merely trying to describe the founders views, using their writings and legislative efforts as his evidence, and then using this evidence to obliterate the idea that the founders really only meant "freedom" for white male land owners. Even if you disagree with his conclusions, the facts about early America he presents in the book are astounding. Did you know that black free women were allowed to vote in New Jersey in the 1790s? I didn't. The presentation of some of these facts alone make the purchase of the book. My only criticism: The chapter of women's rights is not that great. Struggle through it and finish the book. My view has always been that many historical views cannot be boiled down to slogans. (example: The US founders only intended white male land owners to vote.) History is usually much more complex and ambigious. I think this presentation only confirms my view of history. West is on the right politically. That is not a bad thing mind you but I think should take that into account as his view then might not be entirely neutral
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