'This valuable anthology connects primary texts of American political thought with key works of the European tradition. By focusing on the liberal, republican, and Puritan sources of the American founding period, Fumurescu and Schön provide the best introduction I know to the richness and diversity of our enduring national character. This book will be an invaluable instructional text for years to come.' Steven B. Smith, Yale University

'This is a judiciously selected, well organized, and helpfully introduced anthology that should prove a valuable resource for both undergraduate and graduate teaching of the historical foundations of America's civic culture.' Thomas L. Pangle, University of Texas, Austin

'Alin Fumurescu and Anna Marisa Schön provide an excellent introduction to the foundations of American political thought with this collection of readings and commentary that showcases competing understandings of the American political order and contested notions of American exceptionalism. Beginning with the classical and modern sources of American political thought and concluding with Abraham Lincoln's profound reflections in the crucible of the Civil War, this book is an essential resource for students and scholars alike.' Justin Buckley Dyer, University of Missouri