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Revolutionary Characters: What Made the Founders Different

Gordon S. Wood

3.97 · Rating details · 3,681 ratings · 239 reviews

In this brilliantly illuminating group portrait of the men who came to be known as the Founding Fathers, the incomparable Gordon Wood has written a book that seriously asks, ?What made these men great???and shows us, among many other things, just how much character did in fact matter. The life of each?Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Hamilton, Madison, Paine?is pres ...more

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Paperback, 336 pages

Published May 29th 2007 by Penguin Books (first published April 3rd 2006)

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Oct 05, 2008 Will Byrnes rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: american-history, nonfiction

Wood offers a chapter each to a slew of household names from the time of the Revolution. It is like getting to read a very well-informed mini-biography on each. One thing I found was that the turmoil of the post revolutionary period left me in a bit of a daze. There was not only considerable diversity among the founders in terms of their macro views (if not their gender or ethnicity) and when this is combined with the rapid and significant changes the foundling nation was undergoing, it makes th ...more

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Jan 29, 2018 robin friedman rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

America's Founders And American Ideals

For much of our history, the leaders of the American Revolution and the framers of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution enjoyed iconic, mythic status. But they have also been subjected to criticism and debunking, based on their alleged elitism, racism, and sexism in our increasingly cynical, skeptical age.

In his recent collection of essays, "Revolutionary Characters: What Made the Founders Different" (2006), Gordon Wood offers thoughtful meditati America's Founders And American Ideals

For much of our history, the leaders of the American Revolution and the framers of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution enjoyed iconic, mythic status. But they have also been subjected to criticism and debunking, based on their alleged elitism, racism, and sexism in our increasingly cynical, skeptical age.

In his recent collection of essays, "Revolutionary Characters: What Made the Founders Different" (2006), Gordon Wood offers thoughtful meditations on the Founders. Gordon Wood is Professor of History at Brown University. He is deservedly esteemed for his studies of the Revolutionary era.

In his book, Wood offers succinct discussions of the Founders, their backgrounds, what they did, and, most importantly, what they thought. He sets the Founders within their time but shows, paradoxically, how the success of the Founders made their achievements and characters impossible to replicate in subsequent generations.

Wood's book consists of individual essays on eight founders, Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, Adams, Paine, and Burr. His Introduction and concluding Epilogue attempt to bring coherence to the story. For Wood, what sets the Founders apart from subsequent leaders was their ability to combine high intellectual achievement in politics with the life of affairs and leadership. In much of the subsequent history of the United States, intellectuals and thinkers have been separated from active political life and, in fact, alienated from it. (Thus, the cynicism that I mentioned at the outset of this review.) He finds that the Founders were able to combine the world of intellect with that of practical politics through a devotion to Enlightenment and aristocratic ideals, including ideals regarding the role of an educated gentleman in society, and ideals of civil behavior and good manners, in a broad sense. The Founders were in part individuals who had risen by their own efforts, in most cases through education and study. They used their success to devote themselves to the good of the country and to expand the scope of public participation. This expansion of the scope of citizen participation in the government lead to democracy and egalitarianism and destroyed the conditions which had made the achievement of the Founders itself possible.

Of the essays in the book, the first, "On the Greatness of George Washington" is a reminder of why this reserved, austere figure deserves to be remembered as the greatest of Presidents and as the greatest member of an outstanding generation. The essays on John Adams and James Madison have the highest degree of intellectual content. In the Adams essay, Woods discusses Adams' political philosophy and shows how it was in part prescient and profound and in part based upon a misunderstanding of American constitutionalism. In the essay on Madison, Woods argues that there was a unity of thought throughout his career, rather than a switch from Federalism to states rights and democracy, as argued by many.

The essays of Thomas Paine and Aaron Burr are interesting in themselves and also for the light the cast on the other Founders. In both cases, Wood uses them as foils. Paine was already a democrat and a writer of inflammatory prose for readers without education or knowledge of the classics. This set him apart from his contemporaries. Aaron Burr abandoned the ideal and devotion to public service of the remaining founders and devoted himself solely to the pursuit of his own interests. This basic change, (and not his subsequent activities in the West for which he was tried for treason) is, for Wood, "The Real Treason of Aaron Burr."

Wood's book is an outstanding way to become reacquainted with the American Founders. It encouraged me to think about how American ideals originated, and how they developed and changed through time.

Robin Friedman ...more

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Jul 03, 2013 Trisha rated it liked it · review of another edition

I picked up this book at the library on July 3 so I could start reading it the next day. My plan was to spend most of the 4th trying to learn a little about some of the founding fathers. It was a great idea, however I probably should have picked something a little less daunting since this book was obviously intended for people who had paid more attention during their history classes and were already familiar with the founders. Nevertheless I kept at it and if nothing more it has proven that I am I picked up this book at the library on July 3 so I could start reading it the next day. My plan was to spend most of the 4th trying to learn a little about some of the founding fathers. It was a great idea, however I probably should have picked something a little less daunting since this book was obviously intended for people who had paid more attention during their history classes and were already familiar with the founders. Nevertheless I kept at it and if nothing more it has proven that I am woefully ignorant when it comes to things I probably ought to know about how our country was founded. I must have been sick the week we studied the American Revolution. Obviously I wasn’t there the day we covered the Continental Congress. And just what was the Virginia Plan? I’ve forgotten. For that matter I can’t remember exactly what Aaron Burr did to earn him the title of traitor or why he ended up having a duel with (and killing) Alexander Hamilton. It’s a good thing I don’t have to take a test on any of this. But what I did enjoy about Gordon Wood’s book were the character sketches – details about the kind of men the founders were: 18th century gentlemen who placed a high priority on honor, dignity and good manners; extremely intelligent and articulate, well read (although not all of them were formally educated); creative and passionate about what they were doing. It must have been a fascinating time to be alive – especially if you happened to be born a male and could live comfortably (thanks to your family’s money and the slaves you kept on your plantation.) If nothing else reading this book has made me realize that I really should stop reading so many 19th century British novels and pay a little more attention to what was going on in this country a century before that. Maybe I need to make more of an effort. After struggling through this book, I think I’ll try to make it a point to read something each year that deals with American History. It might make up for all the times I failed to pay more attention in school. ...more

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Sep 11, 2008 Jim rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, 1paper, 2non-fiction

An excellent book that looks at the characters of the American Revolution & what made them different. The book assumes a working knowledge of the time period since it focuses on eight men & what their motivations were. Extensively documented, other readings are suggested as needed. His basic premise is that these men were revolutionaries that fought themselves out of a job. If he has a political axe to grind, he kept it out of his writing as far as I could tell, which I appreciated, especially a ...more

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Feb 27, 2015 David Eppenstein rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: history, non-fiction, american-history, biography

I love history especially that of our Revolution so I was looking forward to reading this book. I wish I could say I enjoyed it but I did not. Certainly Wood's scholarship and writing are not at fault as the book is quite well researched and written. Unfortunately, it is a book that only a reader devoted to historical scholarship and political science is likely to enjoy. While the book offers chapters on several of our Founders the book is really about their various political ideas and philosoph ...more

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Apr 13, 2009 Anthony rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own, american-presidents, american-revolution

Gordon S. Wood is Professor of History at Brown University. He received the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for History for The Radicalism of the American Revolution and the 1970 Bancroft Prize for The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787 .

Revolutionary Characters: What Made the Founders Different is a series of essays covering each of eight different founding fathers: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Adams, Thomas Paine, and Gordon S. Wood is Professor of History at Brown University. He received the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for History for The Radicalism of the American Revolution and the 1970 Bancroft Prize for The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787 .

Revolutionary Characters: What Made the Founders Different is a series of essays covering each of eight different founding fathers: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Adams, Thomas Paine, and Aaron Burr. Rather than discuss what the founders accomplished, the essays (about 20 to 30 pages apiece) examine the character, philosophy, and virtues of each of these men. The essays are sandwiched between an introduction and an epilogue which bind the essays together.

Some of the main themes conveyed in the essays include: Washington, the only truly classical hero we have ever had, had a lifelong preoccupation with his reputation for "disinterestedness". Franklin was the most American of the founders and yet he was also the most European. Jefferson, firmly believing in the inherent beneficence of men, celebrated society's superiority over government. Hamilton, the big-business man and big-government man, fought to tie the two together, and in doing so became the man who made modern America. There is no "James Madison Problem" after all - it was the over-reach of Federalism that was changing during the early 1790's, and not the views of Madison. Adams, who had led the charge in the fight for independence, was convinced that he would never receive due recognition and continually sought to bolster his legacy. Paine was the first "public intellectual" whose prose aroused not only the politically-connected and enlightened (as most writing of the era targeted only them), but the common folk as well. Lastly, and in stark contrast, Burr's use of his office to promote his own self interest was not so much an act of treason against his country, but against his class.

Professor Wood reminds us that these men were not born into wealth, aristocracy, and gentility; they were all self-made men - the first in their families to attend college and certainly the first to become "gentlemen". He posits that their success essentially secured their own extinction in that they created (unwittingly) an egalitarian system of rule in which subsequent leaders did not necessarily need to possess an enlightened, disinterested (i.e., having no personal or financial stake), virtuous, or even gentlemenly character. ...more

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Aug 25, 2017 Vincent Li rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Similar to the Idea of America in that Revolutionary Characters is a collection of previously written essays edited for a more popular audience. I actually fairly enjoy the format, which paints the main themes of Wood's work (the gentlemen culture, republicanism, and the birth of democratic culture) while still being accessible (unlike the very dense Radicalism of the American Revolution [worth a read, but hardly a poolside read]). The book consists of short biographical sketches of Washington, Similar to the Idea of America in that Revolutionary Characters is a collection of previously written essays edited for a more popular audience. I actually fairly enjoy the format, which paints the main themes of Wood's work (the gentlemen culture, republicanism, and the birth of democratic culture) while still being accessible (unlike the very dense Radicalism of the American Revolution [worth a read, but hardly a poolside read]). The book consists of short biographical sketches of Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, John Adams, Paine, and Burr. The chapters are less chronicles of the lives of the founders than illustrations in the general themes Wood explores elsewhere (for example, Wood sees Burr's real treason as a betrayal of the gentlemen class virtues by nakedly pursuing his self-interest instead of acting in a disinterested matter, and argues that Paine was America's first public intellectual, writing to the masses instead of the republic of letters [though ultimately undone by his candor in regards to his belief in deism]). Wood's introduction explains that the founding generation was truly unique and unleashed a democratic spirit that would ensure that such a ruling class would not be replicated in the United States. A running theme is that the founders created a public spirit that celebrated the people and the democratic spirit that eroded their own power base (natural aristocracy) and left many of them bewildered at the transformation near the end of their lives.

Washington is framed as the ideal gentleman and hyper concerned with his reputation (at least in modern eyes). Wood discusses the reputation that Washington established by surrendering his command at the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, which was unprecedented and earned him the name of the modern Cincinnatus. Several times Washington was cajoled into making his decisions based on the impact on his reputation (once in regard to donating a gift of shares to what would become the university of washington and lee, in rejecting leadership of the society of cincinnati, both issues dear to his heart [these are mentioned in radicalism of the american revolution as well]). In fact, even when it came to presiding over the constitutional convention, Washington was finally convinced to preside to avoid the impression that he hoped the convention would fail so he could take over as a military dictator. Wood argues that one of Washington's greatest acts was to free his slaves on his death. Washington even privately concluded that if the country was to break apart, he would be on the side of the union. Also interesting was the ambiguous nature of the executive, which some (high federalists in particular, with Hamilton hoping that the United States would grow into a comparable european fiscal-military state [with ability to raise money and wage war]) regarded as an elected monarch. Washington was the only person capable of being trusted in this supreme position, throughout his term there were many trappings of european monarchy.

The chapter on Franklin is an abridgement of the Americanization of Benjamin Franklin (worth a read of its own). In particular Wood shows the transformation of Franklin from imperial servant to Revolutionary. Wood notes that unlike the other founders, Franklin already had an international reputation as a scientist, frequently considered permanently relocating to Europe and bragged of his connections to the imperial government. Franklin sought an imperial appointment as late as the 1770s, before being humiliated by the government for some political miscalculations (publically releasing the hutchinson letters). In one particularly spectacular moment, it is said that after his public humiliation Franklin told one official that he would "make your king a LITTLE KING". Wood argues that one of the reasons that Franklin became so patriotic was his loyalties were questioned because he was a late (though authentic, mainly through being spurred) convert to the revolutionary cause.

The essays on Adams, Madison and Jefferson are interesting in that they show some of the nuances of the "first" party system. Wood notes that the federalists and republicans were not modern parties in any meaning of the word. The federalists considered themselves the government, and considered the republicans to be subversive elements challenging the government (this was particularly interesting in context of the sedition acts, which the federalists thought was legitimate to protect the government, while the republicans developed an early argument for the marketplace of ideas, which symbolizes the birth of public opinion), while the republicans considered themselves a temporary alliance meant to restore true revolutionary values (similar to English Whigs). Jefferson and Madison represented a strain of revolutionary thought that assumed that if left alone the natural impulses of society would allow civilization and people to prosper. Central to their belief was the role of trade in connecting peoples peacefully (similar to Kant's perpetual peace argument) and the rationale behind the disastrous embargo (which Wood notes still exists as economic sanctions). Jefferson and Madison thought that monarchical power was tied to warfare, standing armies and tyranny and stood in direct opposition to Hamilton. Wood argues that there is no "Madison problem" (between the Madison of the Federalist, and the Madison of the Kentucky Resolutions). Wood argues that Madison was always concerned about the abuses of the popular legislatures (in his virginia plan, both houses were proportional, and congress would wield a veto over state laws against the Union. Madison also suggested that there be a judicial/executive council to wield this veto. When these were rejected, Madison thought the constitution would fail. Ultimately, Madison supported SCOTUS judicial review) but did not favor the fiscal/executive/military state that Hamilton supported (which was ultimately the most forward looking). Wood's essay on Adams is interesting as well. Adams was outside of the country during the crucial period of the convention. While Adams supported the tripartite structure, he relied on classical rationales of republicanism, which saw each branch as representative of an order of society (the senate- aristocracy, the house- the populace and the executive/monarchy to balance the two). Adams based this on his pessimistic view of humanity as jealous and scrambling for honors. While most political theory by that point agreed with the conclusion, it did not agree with the rationale, which rested on a theory of popular sovereignty (the people doling out its sovereignty to the government which have parts of that authority as agents of the people). Overall, an enjoyable read that does not repeat the rote popular biographies but not dense enough to give you a headache in the sun. ...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Ryan rated it really liked it

While Gordon Wood is one of the leading historians of the 18th Century nascent American republic and his depth and breadth of knowledge is remarkably impressive, this book comes across as a pale version of Joseph Ellis's "Founding Brothers," with the essays on select founders. Too often does the author come across as lecturing the reader about these significant revolutionary men instead of simply weaving a binding and mesmerizing analysis that continually engages the reader upon each page turn. ...more

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Dec 15, 2008 Jon rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Jon by: Jim MacLachlan

Shelves: read-in-my-40s, history, non-fiction, audiobooks

I enjoyed listening to these essays during my daily commute. I learned many things about my American history and heritage. It also inspired me to read some of Thomas Paine's works. I think I have also found a way to get more non-fiction into my reading diet. It's definitely more enjoyable to listen to and focus on via an audiobook then overcoming the stigma of reading what amounts to a textbook. ...more

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Mar 29, 2020 Sara rated it really liked it

I am a big fan of the founding fathers and this book offered a different perspective on them than your typical biography or non-fiction. It wasn’t about who they were or what they did, but more why they did it. This book dives into the founders’ values both as individuals and a collective group and how that influenced the founding of the USA.

What makes this book very thought-provoking is the idea of “disinterestedness.” This doesn’t mean uninterested but rather “above interest” and able to objec ...more

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Jun 22, 2009 Steven Peterson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Gordon Wood is a well reputed historian. Here, he examines some of the more important (and interesting) of the Founders and those interacting with them. Wood's main point is that character was a matter of great importance for the leaders of the new government. When those with great potential--such as Aaron Burr--raised questions about their own character, it led people to doubt them.

The opening chapter of the book places this volume in context. Wood discusses the context in which the Founders d Gordon Wood is a well reputed historian. Here, he examines some of the more important (and interesting) of the Founders and those interacting with them. Wood's main point is that character was a matter of great importance for the leaders of the new government. When those with great potential--such as Aaron Burr--raised questions about their own character, it led people to doubt them.

The opening chapter of the book places this volume in context. Wood discusses the context in which the Founders developed and exercised influence over public matters. They were concerned with character, with what people thought of them, with a sense of displaying "disinteredness." Outside of Burr (ironic indeed), the main Founders came from lesser circumstances than what they became. They saw themselves as not just common people, but as those who had excelled and demonstrated themselves, for want of a better term, of being a natural, meritocratic aristocracy.

The book examines several of the Founders--George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Adams. As counterpoint, Wood considers Thomas Paine and, as already noted, Aaron Burr.

Washington is shown to be someone who attempted to exercise absolute control over his presentation of self to the larger world, conscious of his dignity, and, later, his place in history. He took great pains to demonstrate his disinterest in pursuing success (even though, obviously, he was ambitious). Franklin is portrayed, too, as an elusive figure, trying to project a particular image and not revealing too much of himself. Wood notes that Franklin's Autobiography illustrates this very well. And so on.

To provide counterpoint to the Founders, Wood notes Paine and Burr. Aaron Burr had a better pedigree than any of the other figures in this book. He lived as a gentleman (albeit profligately). He would do whatever he had to do to succeed--whether financially or politically. And he did not distinguish the two realms very much. Her was not above using his political offices to try to generate profit (he was always on the verge of financial disaster). And this is what alienated Burr from other leaders--his self-interest was manifest, whereas others professed "disinteredness."

At any rate, this is an interesting volume, one that focuses on character of the individuals covered in this work. Sometimes, I think that the narrative is a bit oversimplistic. Nonetheless, Wood has captured, I think, something of the ethos of leadership in the latter part of the 18th and early part of the 19th centuries. Well written. People interested in the subject covered here will find this a good read.
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Jul 03, 2017 Brian Willis rated it really liked it

This book is a collection of reworked essays profiling the personal qualities and philosophies of the following Founders: Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, Adams, Paine, and Burr. It serves as an excellent introduction or refresher on the character and qualities of those founders with the central thesis that the very establishment of the American republic guaranteed that the people who would be chosen to lead it would never replicate the quality of the founders.

These founders ...more

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Aug 01, 2018 Will A rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: best-books-read-in-2018

The subtitle about what made the Founding Fathers "different" is a pun. By taking each of them separately, Wood brings out the differences and disputes between them, unsettling any sense that the Founding was a moment of idealistic consensus. Instead of the Constitution being treated as gospel and the Founding being seen as a period of definite ideals to hark back to, his essays show how the aims and organization of the new nation were always and already subjects for disagreement and division. T ...more

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Oct 05, 2015 Ashley Nef rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: early-am-history, history

A series of essays essentially outlining just how different from us the founding fathers were as seen by the cultural standards of their day. Enlightening, and sometimes quite engaging. Overall, a good introduction to the founding fathers to get a sense of them, their times, and the attitudes behind the founding of America.

My favorite essay was on George Washington - he strongly argues that Washington was - without exception - the greatest president we have ever had, an opinion I eagerly share ...more

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Jan 05, 2008 Ryan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Revolutionary Characters was a fun, easy to read book, that brought to life the characters of the American Revolution.

A common lament since the days of the founding fathers has been ¨Where have such leaders gone?¨ This book argues that these men were the product of a unique period of history, and a unique set of ambitions. For the most part, they truly tried to serve ¨the greater good¨ rather than their own self interest - not because they were of better moral fiber, but because that was the vo ...more

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Jul 07, 2010 Curtis rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

After reading several books about the Revolutionary period, I doubted whether this book would be able to offer anything new, especially considering its size when compaired to Gordon Wood's other massive tomes on the subject. However I was thoroughly surprised when I discovered that the author lived up to his name and delivered a fascinating new take on the founders. While the stories he tells about them were familar, his interpretations of events, their causes and results, and their effects on m ...more

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Jul 25, 2013 Stan Lanier rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A very good introduction to some of the leading characters of the American Revolution. (I found it particularly enriching to read this in conjunction with Joseph J. Ellis's Founding Brothers.)Two caveats that may deter some readers: 1) The book is a reworking of earlier individual essays (thus, no narrative flow,as such);2) It is clearly a work in academic prose rather than the language of a storyteller. The portraits drawn are interesting and much can be earned when compared with one's own unde ...more

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Dec 07, 2009 William Thomas rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

what seemed to me to be more of a retort to gore vidal's book of the same kind, and in by far a more academic endeavor than gore's, this book comes off without bias, detailing in a short and direct way, the personal lives and intimacies of the founding fathers. bravo to gordon wood for including Thomas Payne in this book as a father of America, as well as to his detailing the individual mindset, theories, philosophies, mannerisms and quirks of each of the different men, showing us that they were ...more

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May 12, 2010 Jocelin rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: history, books-my-husband-wants-me-to-read

This was a very fascinating biography on the founders of our nation. I really enjoyed the chapter on George Washington. The information that was presented about him was something that I was not aware of in the past. I am glad that the author chose to encompass the entire life of the founders instead of just focusing on one area. He presented each of the men as just that, men. They were not perfect, divine or overtly horrible. They were flawed and imperfect, but they were leaders and forgers of o ...more

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Dec 20, 2014 Tom rated it liked it · review of another edition

That old rascal Aaron Burr warned us about historians, who always distrusted the prejudices of historians who shade their studies in a particular direction. Professor Wood, while as brilliant a researcher as ever opened a diary or letter, is so in love with the egalitarian and "republican" attitudes of the likes of Jefferson and even Paine's philosophy, that this effort annoyed my 18th Century attitudes and Tory nature to its roots. Ah, for such skills, and a truly objective and "disinterested" ...more

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Jul 22, 2015 Kiera Beddes rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: driven2teach, non-fiction, grad-school, history

There was a chapter dedicated to each of the Founding Fathers: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Adams, Thomas Paine and Aaron Burr (although I don't know for the life of me why anyone would want to dedicate a whole chapter to stupid Aaron Burr). I appreciated that Wood took a honest look at each man, without all the hero worship that you find so often in history textbooks. All their virtues and faults were discussed as well as their ...more

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May 30, 2017 James rated it it was amazing

Beautifully written, and a useful one-stop for those who already know some revolutionary war history to gain deeper insight into the unique legacy and true character of the major founders.

Gordon Wood is a conservative in the classic sense, and it is his insightful essay on the decline of the intellectual of leadership of great men (and the rise of the unthinking masses) which I found most original and a little saddening.

Highly recommended.

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Jul 15, 2014 Matthew Sparling rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A unique perspective on the Revolutionary men (including some of the lesser known) and how their personalities and beliefs shaped their politics. A good book for someone interested in either revolutionary war history or political history.

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Jul 18, 2018 Tracy rated it really liked it

Thoughtful essays on American founders. Helped me better understand their worldviews and appreciate their struggles to create and maintain an infant country 200+ years ago.

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Aug 28, 2013 David rated it liked it · review of another edition

Gordon S. Wood’s book on the founders of the United States presents a series of biographical sketches compiled from a selection of his published works. He uses both previously written articles as well as books he has written and condensed them for this compilation. The chapters examine the expected “Characters” like Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison and Adams. Wood also discusses the relevance of men like Thomas Paine and Aaron Burr in their relation to the founders in the last Gordon S. Wood’s book on the founders of the United States presents a series of biographical sketches compiled from a selection of his published works. He uses both previously written articles as well as books he has written and condensed them for this compilation. The chapters examine the expected “Characters” like Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison and Adams. Wood also discusses the relevance of men like Thomas Paine and Aaron Burr in their relation to the founders in the last two chapters respectively. Wood attempts to counter the prevailing view of historians who in the nation’s first century attempted to deify the founders. At the same time he opposes the efforts of historians in the last century who have tried to debunk and dehumanize these great men. More specifically Wood points to a tendency in the last forty years by some scholars to impose current social and political objectives on the founders. These men were not infallible demigods, nor were they insignificant failures. Each chapter is written to aid the reader in observing the founders as their contemporaries would have observed them. Wood reveals their characters by their actions and by the responses of their fellow political leaders, foreign dignitaries and their families. Wood’s stated purpose for compiling the book is not to glorify the founders, but to better understand them. To identify the traits that made them especially equipped for the events they found themselves is his aim. Wood succeeds in his attempt by creating a fascinating tapestry of these Characters’ characters.
Wood’s, Revolutionary Characters, is a series of biographies of the founders of the United States. As a professor of history at Brown University, Wood has written extensively on the events surrounding the birth of the United States. He distills many of his previous works into this single, topical volume. In the first chapter, “The Greatness of George Washington”, Wood paints a very human picture of the first president despite the chapter’s title. Washington’s tenure as a leader in the military is discussed. The author then directs the readers attention to George Washington’s greatest contributions to the fledgling nation. Washington’s willingness to hand over his sword to Congress following the end of the conflict with Britain made him unlike so many other leaders of great military conquests. Wood argues that this was his most noteworthy action and example of his character. Many expected Washington to parlay his military accomplishment into political gain. Wood details the inner turmoil that Washington experienced when he was again called upon to join and to lend credibility to the Congress’ Constitutional Convention, over which he eventually presided. Washington is presented as one who was selfless. He was only persuaded to return to public life when it became clear that without him, the young republic might fall. This example of a gentleman whose most noble attribute was that of his “disinterestedness” serves as a benchmark against which all other biographies in the book are measured.
With Washington established as the cornerstone on which the country was to be built and held together, Wood moves through the other characters’ lives with equal detail. Wood discusses how each man related to Washington and how each man compared to him as well. The following chapters are, at the same time, self contained biographies. The author explains misconceptions about many of the men who are very distant from us today. These mens’ actions and thoughts are clarified and explained in the context of the time in which they occurred. Again, the tone of the work is one of understanding the founders as their contemporaries would have. Wood humanizes each man and shows their strengths and weaknesses. Wood follows the intellectual shift that began in Washington toward the end of his life regarding his slaves and slavery as a “peculiar institution”. Without imposing today’s realizations about slavery on Washington, Wood manages to provide a fair and understanding view of this issue in the context of early America.
The remaining quarter of the Wood’s work consists of an epilogue, extensive notes and an index. The epilogue of the book is a capstone essay titled “The Founders and the Creation of Modern Public Opinion”. In this essay, Wood explains the transformation of the ruling class from a quasi-aristocracy to one in which many more common men began to participate. Modernization that spread through the country spawned by technology and increased newspaper circulation and readership contributed to the nation’s increasing democratization. Communication between the governors and the governed became, for the first time, bi-directional. Public opinion was beginning to take a more prominent role in the affairs of government. Wood points to this time, beginning with Adams’ presidency, as when public opinion began to affect substantial change. Wood concludes that the founders were surprised by this democratization that he attributes primarily to their own actions.
Gordon S. Wood delivers a fascinating look at the character of these men whom we thought we knew. The book avoids excessive analysis of the events surrounding these men. Wood stays on the topic of each man’s character throughout the book. Each chapter is written from the perspective of each individual founder and their reaction to events guided by their character. Wood is most eloquent when he pauses to explain to the reader the nuances of eighteenth-century Anglo-American society and customs to clarify the otherwise unfamiliar behavior or thoughts of these men. While each biography is self contained in each chapter, the relationship of these men to each other is clearly defined. Taken individually, the chapters in the book are interesting and illuminating. However, due to Wood’s use of his previously published material for each biography, there are occasions that a founder is attributed the same quote in more than one chapter and not always in the same context. While some chapters are distillations of academic papers Wood has written and others are distillations of entire books, the depth of detail is not consistent throughout. Wood acknowledges the origins of each chapter in his notes and he is forthright with this information in the preface of the book.
Wood’s Revolutionary Characters, What Made the Founders Different, is worth considering for anyone interested in the founders. It should especially be read by those who are discouraged by the many attempts to debunk the founders and their accomplishments. Those wishing to familiarize themselves with the humanity of the founders will also gain from reading this book.
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Jan 27, 2019 Emily rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Gordon Wood is good. Really good. This series of essays about the character and personal ideologies of a few of our founders is completely applicable to the leadership in the US right now, and that will make you sad. Not sugar coated, but you can really see how far we have come, or perhaps, fallen.

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Nov 30, 2013 Louise rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: us-revolution, biography

Wood sets the stage for his "biovignettes" of selected revolutionaries by describing their world. Each was influenced positively or negatively by the aristocracy of the old world.

The best essay on "character" (as I took the title) is that of Washington, probably because he had so much of it. GW not only rejects the opportunity to be like a monarch, he actually frees his slaves and provides for those too feeble to benefit from freedom. Washington worries about the propriety of this and that and i Wood sets the stage for his "biovignettes" of selected revolutionaries by describing their world. Each was influenced positively or negatively by the aristocracy of the old world.

The best essay on "character" (as I took the title) is that of Washington, probably because he had so much of it. GW not only rejects the opportunity to be like a monarch, he actually frees his slaves and provides for those too feeble to benefit from freedom. Washington worries about the propriety of this and that and is careful about setting precedents. All Americans are indebted to him for setting high standards on day one. He seems the least influenced by the workless mandate of the "gentleman". Unlike some of the others, he actually fought in the war.

Of them all, the high born Burr, also a war veteran, comes off the worst. He's the first to milk patronage and court lobbyists.

The portrait of Jefferson is the weakest. While actions and words on slavery are given a reasonable treatment, Sally Hemmings is dismissed in a paragraph. Here also, the author allows his modern stereotypes to intervene, he compares Jefferson to a "knee jerk liberal" (because, Wood says, TJ is not an original thinker) but doesn't relate this to Jefferson's "contempt" for big government and says like modern day liberals TJ can't understand economic forces (is our spend thrift Congress liberal?). Wood's stereotypes later surface in the Paine essay where he implies modern day liberals see society as malevolent and government as beneficent.

Wood is able to bring us into that world where so much was still to be known. The founders' ideas were confined to what they knew. Hamilton had a vision, and worked hard to sell the idea of "currency". Others navigated the new political landscape to sell the idea of federalism to self interested provincial state governments. The founders despair as their letters to one another diminish in importance as coarser tracts of the common man, bereft of classical illusions become more influential. Most of these revolutionaries died discouraged or worried about the changes they had wrought.

Wood has digested a lot of information. I gave the book 3 stars and not 4 because I took the title to mean there would be more on morals/ethics and hoped to learn more about attitudes towards slavery, the native population, business dealings and women/family. The introductory chapter implies that the book will do this, but in this book "character" is more like "disposition" and through it we learn the attitudes of these revolutionaries and how these attitudes related to constitutional and governance issues. ...more

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Jul 28, 2017 Kevin rated it did not like it · review of another edition

"Nearly all of what follows has been previously published, either in articles, reviews, or books . . ."
- Gordon S. Wood

And there you have it. If you have ever read anything about the eight founding fathers (founders) briefly summarized in this book then don't bother with Gordon Wood's Revolutionary Characters.

On the other hand, if you never read anything about George Washington et al, don't remember anything from high school or college and are not interested in learning a whole lot, then Wood's "Nearly all of what follows has been previously published, either in articles, reviews, or books . . ."
- Gordon S. Wood

And there you have it. If you have ever read anything about the eight founding fathers (founders) briefly summarized in this book then don't bother with Gordon Wood's Revolutionary Characters.

On the other hand, if you never read anything about George Washington et al, don't remember anything from high school or college and are not interested in learning a whole lot, then Wood's work will provide you a few details that you can quickly forget.

This book is primarily an op ed piece that is highly repetitive, makes liberal use of "we" (as in Americans, historians, or scholars) and has a good deal of absolute statements with little support. "No one . . ." might be Wood's favorite phrase.

The first four chapters are essentially a puff piece while the last four actually do a little bit of tearing down. Wood didn't have much to say about Thomas Paine or Aaron Burr which is why their chapters might be the shortest.

The primary issue is that Wood is trying to demonstrate how the founders were different but doing it within 20 to 30 (or so) pages. Not an easy thing to do and ultimately Wood fails to meet his goal. The amount of space allotted per founder was simply not enough to provide the detailed support Wood needed.

The eight (Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, Paine, and Burr) are all important to American history. Yet were they truly "different" or were they just in the right place at the right time and willing to seize an opportunity? If the latter, then they are like many other historical Americans students are forced to study, e.g. Rockefeller, Ford, Vanderbilt, etc.

But Wood wants the reader to think it's the former and spends 240 pages (not counting the epilogue) summarizing the gentlemanly (or not in Burr's case) characteristics these men possessed and how they related to the Enlightenment.

There are even historical errors and/or historical, um, forgetfulness in the book. For example, Wood says that Washington was the only one to free his slaves when in reality Jefferson did release a handful himself.

And in a twist of irony, Wood was more than willing to note that the founders were amateur writers, and yet Wood himself uses the same term or phrase over and over within a span of few sentences (hello thesaurus). How many times can one use the word calculated in the same paragraph (see Ben Franklin's chapter)?

Ultimately I found this to be a rather boring book. ...more

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Feb 13, 2018 Sparrow added it · review of another edition

A series of vivid sketches of America’s “founders.” (One no longer uses the term “Founding Fathers” – though they still all happen to be male.) Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin – and lastly, Aaron Burr. Wood has a particular thesis for each, which tends to get repetitious, the worst being the case of John Adams, who really seems to piss Wood off.

Wood’s main argument: what made the Founders different than subsequent generations was that they were ar ...more

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Mar 26, 2018 Ernie Bowman rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Revolutionary Characters by Gordon S. Wood is a book that aims to discover “what made the founders different?” I found it to be a super helpful, if slightly academic, companion to a lot of the Presidential biographies I have been reading. Of particular interest was the author’s supposition and conclusion that by planting the seeds of democracy, the Founders actually sowed the seeds of their own demise. They saw themselves as the new aristocracy, qualified to lead and govern by virtue of educatio ...more

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“Life was theater, and impressions one made on spectators were what counted. Public leaders had to become actors or characters, masters of masquerade.” — 2 likes

“Although he trusted the good sense of the people in the long run, he believed that they could easily be misled by demagogues. He was a realist who had no illusions about human nature. “The motives which predominate most human affairs,” he said, “are self-love and self-interest.” The common people, like the common soldiers in his army, could not be expected to be “influenced by any other principles than those of interest.” — 1 likes

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