Explaining the importance of getting a well-rounded understanding of the Founders; Professor Guelzo explores Washington's fears about post-Revolutionary America; Washington's concerns about how people could administer their own affairs.

Before the ratification of the Constitution, there are presidents of the Congress created by the Articles of Confederation; the failures of one president, Thomas Mifflin, offer a window into the problems facing the United States of America in 1783.

Money issues abound in the new United States; why the abundance of land is a problem; what compels states to print their own paper money; how Robert Morris attempts to restore the links between commerce, agriculture and government finances.

Exploring the many roles Benjamin Franklin plays in the formative years of the republic; this includes his part as an independent printer, a public "gentleman", a nobleman of nature and a tradesman cynical of the wealthy and powerful.

How books by Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke and Adam Smith influence Thomas Jefferson's political philosophy; Jefferson's fierce critiques of religion and commerce; the ways he nevertheless betrays the Enlightenment principles he holds dear.

Shays's Rebellion sparks unease in the entire Confederation; following this dramatic insurgency and its leader; learning how Shays's Rebellion prompts many to consider a strong government as essential to liberty and property.