Book Review: The Forsaken Founder by Scott S. Greenberger

Solid Biography Of Little Known Founder. I'm not so sure that I would go so far as the title of this book in claiming that Morris is 'forsaken' in modern American history, and despite Greenberger's claims, he never really looks at the modern legacy of Morris enough to really solidify his claim in both the title and the closing words of the texts. This noted, Morris certainly doesn't get the zeitgeist or educational attention that several of the other Founders - specifically, the ones who became President but also a few others who held more central national government positions than Morris ever did ( Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, Jay, etc).

This book is the latest attempt to correct some of that lack of attention and retell the biography of one influential Founder that most Americans are hardly - if at all - even cognizant of the man's name at all, and it does a pretty solid job of detailing the man's life, happenings, and personality. In other words, a fairly standard biography, but a new one on a subject that doesn't get hundreds of them, and therefore interesting in subject at minimum.

With a bibliography clocking in at 25%, this is pretty solidly documented in its own right, and the overall narrative sticks fairly closely to the actual facts at hand (while still being readable, at least by biography standards) with minimal if any noticeable editorial comments beyond explaining, for example, just how atypical Morris' frankness and openness about his sex life was, even if just in his personal journals. (Though apparently he was, by the standards of the day, remarkably open about it publicly as well.)

Overall a solidly written book that adds a bit of depth of knowledge for many about a subject most in America today likely know little about at all, and for that reason alone it should be read much more widely than it most likely will be.

Very much recommended.

This review of The Forsaken Founder by Scott S. Greenberger was originally written on August 31, 2026.