Charles A. Beard (1874–1948) taught history at Columbia University but his considerable influence stems largely from his extensive writings in history and political science. This is the follow-up to his most famous work, which offered a controversial reassessment of the origins of the U. S. Constitution, suggesting that the Founding Fathers were motivated by economic rather than philosophical principles.
Clyde W. Barrow, Ph.D., is author of More Than a Historian: The Political and Economic Thought of Charles A. Beard. Currently Professor and Chair of Political Science at the University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley, he was previously Chancellor Professor in the Policy Studies Program at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, where he also served as Director of the Center of Policy Analysis.