"In the earliest days of our nation, a handful of unsung heroes--including women, slaves, and in Iroquois chief--made crucial contributions to our republic. They pioneered the ideas that led to the Bill of Rights, the separation of powers, and the abolition of slavery. Yet their faces haven't been printed on our currency or carved into any cliffs. Instead, they were marginalized, silenced, or forgotten--sometimes by an accident of history, sometimes by design. In the thick of the debates over the Constitution, some founders warned aboutthe dangers of giving too much power to the central government. Though they did not win every battle, these anti-Federalists and their allies managed to insert a system of checks and balances to protect the people from an intrusive federal government. Other forgotten figures were not politicians themselves, but by their thoughts and actions have influenced America's story." -- Jacket.