A Conversation With Forrest Mcdonald

Forrest McDonald is considered one of the most original and influential historians writing on the American Founding period. With interviewer Bill Jersey, McDonald shares reflections on his life and examines his intellectual formation in Texas in the 1950s, which led him to write "We The People: Economic Origins of the Constitution". When published, his landmark book challenged the long-standing theory proposed by Charles A Beard. He also exposes the drama of the American cultural turbulence of the 1960s through his experiences at Brown University and Wayne State University. McDonald discloses the motivations and theories behind several of his most celebrated books, including Novus Ordo Seclorum: The Intellectual Origins of the Constitution and E Pluribus Unum: The Formation of the American Republic, 1776-1790, which is published by Liberty Fund. In this DVD Forrest McDonald discusses his radical reinterpretations of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, among other founding figures. From his home in Alabama, he speaks about his sense of the nature of the American Republic, the role of the Presidency, the status of the Bill of Rights, the interaction between economics and history, and the effect his reading of history has had on the field and his legacy. Approximate running time: 59 minutes.