New Biographies Examine Complex Legacies of American Founding Figures

Two recently published historical works offer fresh perspectives on the lives and legacies of prominent American founders. Scott S. Greenberger’s biography, The Forsaken Founder, explores the life of Gouverneur Morris, the man credited with drafting the preamble to the United States Constitution. Greenberger highlights Morris’s significant contributions, including his vocal opposition to slavery and his role as an ambassador to France, while also addressing the controversial aspects of his character and political views that have contributed to his relative obscurity in American history.

Simultaneously, historian John Garrison Marks examines the complicated history of George Washington in his new book, Thy Will Be Done. Marks focuses on the legacy of Washington as a slaveholder, specifically analyzing the decision to emancipate the 123 enslaved people at his Mount Vernon estate upon his death. The work investigates how different generations and groups, ranging from early biographers to 19th-century abolitionists, have interpreted and remembered Washington’s relationship with slavery throughout American history.