‘The Lost Founder’ profiles a brilliant lawyer who helped craft the Constitution

Jesse Wegman’s book tells the story of James Wilson, a largely forgotten founding father who lived a colorful life and died as a Supreme Court justice on the run from the law and creditors.

Sponsor Message

DAVE DAVIES, HOST:

This is FRESH AIR. I’m Dave Davies. As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, we’ll hear a lot about George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and others. But what if I told you that one of the nation’s founders, one of only six who signed both the Declaration of Independence and