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The Real Founding Fathers

A glimpse of America's greatest leaders before they were famous

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An illustration of a seated Thomas Jefferson and James Madison discuss the site of the future capital. — Bettmann/Corbis

When most people hear the names George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, they think of the birth of American politics and constitutional rights. But before they were household names, the Founding Fathers were average Joes. Revolutionaries, written by Jack Rakove, chronicles their rise from British subjects to extraordinary Americans. Listen as Rakove explains to Prime Time Radio host Mike Cuthbert what prompted them to action and into the fabric of American history.

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