On June 23, Jesse Wegman’s new book — The Lost Founder: James Wilson and the Forgotten Fight for a People’s Constitution — will be published by Celadon Books. In the first mainstream biography of Wilson, the most democratic of all the American founders, Wegman shows how Wilson was as much a leader and a catalyst in the formation of American government as Madison or Jefferson. The Lost Founder is a missing piece in the story of our nation’s 250th anniversary and what came after. Wegman is a Senior Fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law and a former member of the New York Times editorial board.
Wilson contributed ideas to the Constitution that make him, in Wegman’s words, the “most democratic of all the founders.” Wegman brings us to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, where Wilson fought for popular sovereignty, the idea of government by the people. Although now taken for granted as the essence of our democracy, in 1787 popular sovereignty was disliked by many at the convention. Wilson was fierce in his advocacy, changing the minds of many.
Before the Constitutional Convention, Wilson had a huge impact on political thought in the colonies. Wegman explains how an essay by Wilson laid the groundwork for the Declaration of Independence. Wilson was one of the six people to sign both the Declaration and the Constitution. And when it was time to appoint the first Supreme Court justices, Washington chose Wilson for the bench.
Like other founders, Wilson’s choices didn’t always match his democratic views. As Wegman observes, Wilson fought for democracy and publicly opposed slavery but kept a slave for many years. Wilson also proposed the Three-Fifths Clause in the Constitution, which would guarantee political power to the slave-owning South for generations. Wilson championed the common man, but he had habits — enjoying the perks of wealth and reckless spending on frontier land — that seemed aristocratic.
Wilson incurred huge debts that landed him in debtors’ prison while he was a Supreme Court justice. Wegman takes us to the back room of a tavern in North Carolina where Wilson, terribly ill and on the run from his creditors, died at age 55, his legacy already fading.
About the Author
Jesse Wegman is a Senior Fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice, where he writes about Supreme Court reform and constitutional amendments. From 2013 to 2025, he was a member of the New York Times editorial board, covering law and politics, the Supreme Court, democracy, and electoral reforms. His first book, Let the People Pick the President: The Case for Abolishing the Electoral College, was published in 2020. Before the Times, Wegman was a senior editor at Newsweek and The Daily Beast, a legal editor at Reuters, and a reporter and producer for National Public Radio.
Praise for The Lost Founder:
“Jesse Wegman has written a gripping and deeply researched work of American history. … The Lost Founder restores Wilson to his rightful place and challenges us to reconsider what popular sovereignty really means.” — Ken Burns
“With insight and eloquence, Jesse Wegman has done heroic work in bringing a vital but obscure architect of America back into the popular conversation. As Wegman amply proves, James Wilson merits our reconsideration — and our gratitude.” — Jon Meacham
“I like to think James Madison would be miffed that James Wilson has finally gotten his due as a major framer of the U.S. Constitution. Jesse Wegman’s spellbinding and erudite biography, revealing Wilson’s crucial and often cantankerous role as America’s most democratic founder, could not arrive at a better time.” — Jill Lepore
“This absorbing and enlightening work offers abundant riches as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding and reflect on the people instrumental to its success.” — Bookpage (starred review)
“Wegman’s focus on Wilson’s influence makes a convincing case for his importance in the pantheon of Founding Fathers.” — Booklist
“A genuinely fresh look at the birth of the Constitution.” — Kirkus
“A robust intellectual biography of a fascinating, many-sided figure." — Publishers Weekly
Select Events
(List of all events here)
- Brennan Center event at The Greene Space, New York City (in person), June 23 at 6 pm ET
- Politics & Prose, Washington, DC (in person), June 24 at 7 pm ET
- Atlanta History Center in conversation with Claire Haley, Atlanta (in person), June 25 at 7pm ET
- The Flying Pig Bookstore, Shelburne, VT (in person), July 8 at 6:30 pm ET
- Commonwealth Club World Affairs in conversation with George Hammond, San Francisco (in person), July 14 at 5:30 pm PT
- Kepler’s Books, Menlo Park, CA (in person), July 15 at 7 pm PT
- Northshire Books, Manchester, VT (in person), September 26 at 6 pm ET
- Smithsonian (virtual), September 30 at 6:45 pm ET
