We the People: A History of the American Constitution

On the famous Fourth of July, the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of its Declaration of Independence. But the country is more divided than ever, and its erratic president is turning the republic into an autocracy. Jill Lepore’s brilliant new book is just as timely. The Harvard professor tells the story of the United States through the lens of its Constitution, where all the battles for “the real America,” from segregation to abortion rights, end up, sooner or later, in the Supreme Court, America’s highest court, which is itself embroiled in fierce battles over how to interpret the Constitution. Jill Lepore has delivered what is arguably the most remarkable book ever written on the history of the Constitution.

The U.S. Constitution is the most influential in the world, but it is also one of the most difficult to amend. Of the nearly 12,000 amendments proposed since 1789, only 27 have been enacted. The rest have been shelved, but the problems that led to their introduction remain. Jill Lepore demonstrates the profound connection between societal development and the legal system it adopts, and how this connection depends on each individual's view of the Constitution—whether they are proponents of "fundamentalism" who see the Constitution as a butterfly in a glass box, or advocates of its dynamic evolution. Anyone who has read Jill Lepore's classic, These Facts, will eagerly read We the People, as it embodies all the qualities of this exceptional author: masterful narrative style, vast knowledge, analytical acumen, and remarkably clear historical judgments.