Jesse Wegman: James Wilson and the Forgotten Fight for a People’s Constitution

The Lost Founder: James Wilson and the Forgotten Fight for a People’s Constitution — Jesse Wegman — Celadon Books — 384 pages — $30.00 — June 23, 2026 — ebook versions available at lower prices

It is fairly mind-boggling that few Americans know the name or the story of James Wilson. He was a crucial “founding father” of the US Constitution whose influence in American history is incredibly important.

I think of myself as pretty well educated and I have spent a fair amount of time during my life learning about American history.I am sure I have run across James Wilson’s name at some time, but I never knew anything about his life or his involvement with the writing of both the Declaration of Independence and the US. Constitution. It turns out that he played a major part in the drafting the U.S. Constitution at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, and is one of only six who signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution itself.

Jesse Wegman’s book is a masterful work of history I found impossible to put down. I do not like staying up late into the night to read anymore. I work hard and I need my sleep. But this book kept me reading until I was finished with it, and I was never once bored by Wegman’s storytelling of Wilson’s colorful and difficult life. This is a man who contributed as much as any of those we consider the “giants” of the founding of America as an actual country instead of the loose confederation of competing states it started out to be. In some ways, he made a greater impact than anyone else. His dedication to the concept of “We the People” and the idea that government can come only from the people is crucial to who we are as a country.

Wilson’s accomplishments during the heated period from which an actual country emerged, are surprising to learn about, especially since he has literally disappeared from American history. There are reasons why his contributions have not been recognized. He died as an early Supreme Court justice while hiding out in the malaria infested North Carolina coast to escape the law and his creditors. ,His misadventures as a greedy real estate speculator tainted his reputation. His early demise allowed other figures of that time to move to the forefront. First-hand histories of the founding years of American democracy were written by the longer-lived, better appreciated survivors. Wilson was written out of their narratives.

It was a distinct pleasure and a great honor to have the opportunity to speak with Jesse about this book. I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as I enjoyed participating in it with him.

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.

I am planning to read his previous book, Let the People Pick the President: The Case for Abolishing the Electoral College, a subject I have strong feelings about myself.

(Ironically, we have the Electoral College because of the need for compromise during the Constitutional Convention. In fact, James Wilson proposed it. His first choice for direct election of the president by the people could not gain support of the majority of the delegates. The Electoral College was a better choice than their even more regressive alternatives).

“Jesse Wegman has written a gripping and deeply researched work of American history. Scottish immigrant, signer of both the Declaration and the Constitution, and the man who coined ‘We the People,’ James Wilson believed that power resided in the people themselves, foreseeing a democratic future the country is still struggling to achieve. That he died broke and largely forgotten, his headstone bearing the wrong date of his death, is one of American history’s more painful ironies. The Lost Founder restores Wilson to his rightful place and challenges us to reconsider what popular sovereignty really means.”
—Ken Burns, award-winning documentary filmmaker and director of PBS’ The American Revolution

Jesse Wegman at the Brennan Center website.

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