We live in a divided America that is currently incapable of sustained argument and is feeling unsure of its destiny. Ellis shows how the founders went back to the Greek and Roman classics for seasoned wisdom in their time, and now he takes us back to our classics: America's founders. In discussing Thomas Jefferson and racism, John Adams and economic inequality, James Madison and constitutional law, George Washington and foreign policy, Ellis reminds us that the founders' greatest legacy lies not in providing political answers, but in helping us find a better way to frame the question. -- adapted from jacket.