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Abstract

M. E. Bradford (1934-1993), a professor of English at the University of Dallas, wrote several books and essays about the Founding and engaged in a debate with Harry Jaffa about its meaning. Bradford brought a unique perspective to the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Focusing on historical continuity, he argued the Founding occurred in the seventeenth century when settlers were first arriving. The American “Revolution” was a conservative event meant to preserve established institutions, a “preservation by amputation.” Bradford viewed the Declaration as a strictly political document meant to achieve independence and not a statement of revealed principles. This was the center of his debate with Jaffa. Bradford, analyzing the document in its entirety, argued the Declaration is not much different from other political documents in the English legal tradition like the English Bill of Rights and Magna Carta. In addition to his conservative perspective on the Declaration, Bradford flipped the conventional wisdom on who is the most influential framers of the Constitution. He was critical of James Madison and described his actions in the Philadelphia Convention as “comic” because he sided with the losing side of the convention often. He believed there was more to learn from lesser-known founders like John Dickenson, one of his favorites. Bradford valued the voices of the undervalued southern founders too. He liked John Rutledge and valued his philosophy. Finally, Bradford viewed the Constitution as a nomocratic document that set up a government allowing for cultural differences within the federal union instead of a teleocratic government seeking social transformation. Overall, Bradford brought a different perspective to the Founding. One that emphasized continuity and the conservative nature of the colonists.

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