In the last years of the 18th century, a group of gifted but flawed individuals—Hamilton, Burr, Jefferson, Franklin, Washington, Adams, and Madison—confronted formidable challenges to set the course for our nation. As Joseph Ellis relates in this Pulitzer Prize winner, the "Founding Brothers" combined the ideals of the Declaration of Independence with the content of the Constitution to establish the U.S. government. By analyzing six episodes—including Franklin's attempt to force Congress to confront the issue of slavery—Ellis brings this decade to life.