An Incautious Man: The Life of Gouveneur Morris
Select Format
Select Condition 
Book Overview
In An Incautious Man, historian Melanie Miller provides a succinct but sophisticated recounting of the life of one of our lesser-known but most engaging Founding Fathers: Gouverneur Morris. One of George Washington's "surrogate sons," Morris played a profound role in ensuring the success of the American Revolution and the creation of the Constitution. Miller provides readers a look behind the closed doors of the Constitutional Convention, where Morris's crystalline but passionate eloquence gave the debate a vitality that remains both enthralling and keenly meaningful for those of us whose lives have been decisively shaped by the results of that deliberation. In 1792, Morris replaced Thomas Jefferson as the American minister to France. His experience there during the Terror is unparalleled in diplomatic history. As Miller tells it, Morris's time in France is a story of conspiracy to help the king escape, of friends imprisoned and murdered, of seized ships and complex problems that had no precedent in the young nation's history. Upon his return to the U.S., Morris served a brief stint in the Senate before going on to secure the building of the Erie Canal and to direct the design of the Manhattan network of streets we know today.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:1684515548
ISBN13:9781684515547
Release Date:March 2024
Publisher:Regnery Publishing
Length:225 Pages
Weight:0.55 lbs.
Dimensions:0.8" x 5.5" x 7.7"
Customer Reviews
1 rating
an incautious man
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 15 years ago
A detailed description of events concerning out countries founding and the production of the constitution, from one person's viewpoint. This book was compiled, based upon many letters to, from, and about his life. Any one book, covering the broad scope of the history of an event, minimizes the excitement of the current passage of time during Gouveneur's life. For instance, while attending about 4 author presentations at Lafayette College celebrating the 250th anniversary of Marquis Lafayette's birth, I learned that the only reason Lafayette survived the French Revolution was due to his 5 years in a German prison. This was after his broaching the idea of having an external enemy to unify France. Picking a fight with Austria ended in defeat. I learned from this book that Lafayette was escaping toward Holland when captured and sent in the opposite direction. Gouverneur, like Ben Franklin, consosrted with French females, perhaps only one however. Again the interlocking web of events, seen from an individual perspective's writings, are fascinating and insightful.
Copyright © 2025 Thriftbooks.com
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information | Cookie Policy | Cookie Preferences | Accessibility Statement
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
