In a letter to Jonathan Boucher dated July 9, 1771 George Washington wrote “I conceive a knowledge of books is the basis upon which other knowledge is to be built.”
George Washington was born in the Age of Reason, he was a part of a generation of that had access to more information in the form of printed books, pamphlets, and newspapers than ever before. The same holds true today we have access to more information then at any time in history. The drawback however is that access can be fleeting. Online sources can be taken offline or be edited to fit changing political or cultural narratives. Books however are a tangible resource that can’t easily be taken away or altered once in your care.
Every American should own copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, The Federalist & Anti-Federalist papers & James Madison’s Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787. I’d also recommend the two-volume boxed set The Debate on the Constitution Federalist and Anti-Federalist Speeches, Articles, and Letters During the Struggle over Ratification 1787–1788 from LIbrary of America.
Anyway, that’s my mini rant for today. It’s time for me to put my feet up & reread Federalist 19 before watching the next edition of the Freedom Papers podcast with Morgan Zegers tonight. BTW if you’re not listening to the Freedom Papers podcast and following Morgan, you should be. She’s one brightest young voices in the conservative movement & one of the few people I’ve met through social media I’d love to meet in person.