This book offers a uniquely important interpretation of the half-century friendship of Jefferson and Madison. The two philosopher statesmen are shown jointly working out the philosophy of democracy in the clash of political interests that followed the revolution.

With fresh insights gained from her mastery of unpublished primary sources, Miss Koch recreates the personal drama behind formal statements and outward events and re-evaluates the political and philosophical significance of the views and actions of Jefferson and Madison. She reveals their struggle for a democratic but strong government, free from religious ties, unafraid of political criticism, protective of civil liberties, and dedicated to learning. She re-examines their views on federal authority, the two-party system, the Alien and Sedition Acts, the French Revolution, the public debt, the Supreme Court, the Louisiana Purchase, the location of the Federal Capital, and the support of education in a free society. Her book contributes toward the fuller understanding of the philosophy and character of the two political realists who founded their belief on the people and visualized the American republic as an experiment for liberty.
From the back cover.