The Pursuit of Liberty by Jeffrey Rosen

THE PURSUIT OF LIBERTY by Jeffrey Rosen describes “How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America.”  Rosen, President and CEO of the National Constitution Center and Professor of Law at The George Washington University Law School, has written numerous books about democracy and the Supreme Court (such as Conversations with RBG). In his latest, he explores close to 250 years of United States history to show the impact of the fundamental debate over the role of the federal government between Jefferson and Hamilton. The text which utilizes ten chronological chapters and a conclusion based on the present day is quite scholarly and assumes a strong knowledge of American history and its players. Full of details, this work is somewhat reminiscent of Richard Hofstadter’s dense commentary on American history which was often assigned as undergraduate reading fifty years ago. For those who are interested in learning more, Rosen will be speaking via Zoom on Monday, November 10 in a program sponsored by Family Action Network: more details here.