Many historians condemn our nation's founders as hypocrites who failed to live up to their own enlightened principles. Political scientist Thomas West debunks numerous myths and demonstrates why our founders were indeed sincere in their belief of universal human rights and in their commitment to democracy.

In Vindicating the Founders, Thomas West demonstrates why the Founders were indeed sincere in their belief of universal human rights and in their commitment to democracy. In a straightforward style, West debunks numerous widely held myths about the Founders' political thought. He contrasts the Founders' ideas of liberty and equality with today's, concluding that contemporary notions of liberalism bear almost no resemblance to the concepts originally articulated by the Founders.