According to conventional wisdom, the founders of the American Constitution were guilty of racism, elitsim and sexism. They were hypocrites who failed to live up to their own enlightened principles. Washington and Jefferson had slaves, so did they believe that "all men are created equal"? Also, women, even after the American revolution, had no rights and the poor and propertyless were denied the basic right of democratic perticipation. Observing that the understanding of the Founders influences the opinion of contemporary America, the author demonstrates why the Founders were indeed sincere in their belief of universal human rights and in their commitment to democracy. The book explains the Founder's views and the constitutional order they created are still worthy of respect. Thomas West debunks a numer of widely held myths about the Founders' political thought and contrasts their ideas of liberty and equality with contemporary ideas, concluding that they differ immensley.