Against all odds, the Americans won their war of independence, but their success brought

a new challenge, no less daunting.

What sort of government should they choose for themselves?

How could they ensure that the tyranny of the English king, George III, would not be

replaced by a homegrown tyranny?

One possibility was to establish an American monarchy with a better king.

That was tempting for some, especially because they had a superb person for the job, General

George Washington.

To his legion of admirers, the fact that he did not want to be king, made him an even

more attractive candidate.

The other possibility was to establish a republic, a government oven by the people and their

representatives.

But this solution came with a big problem.

Historically, republics like those in ancient Greece and Rome had always failed.

And when they failed, they were usually replaced by the very worst, most oppressive forms of

tyranny.

Might there be a way to make republicanism work and last?

Destructure a constitution that would protect the new American republic from the social and

political pathologies that had destroyed republics throughout history.

America's founding fathers, men like Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John

Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, believed they had answers.

They had risked everything when they declared their independence from England.

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