The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, From the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement

As Alexander Hamilton lay dying, he was surrounded by his wife, his bishop, his seven children, and his close friend Gouverneur Morris. Morris is forgotten by history, overshadowed by Hamilton’s celebrity, yet “shift[ing] focus just slightly” brings him into the scene (3).

Morris was a Founding Father and Hamilton’s “intellectual equal.” He was responsible for penning the Preamble of the United States Constitution; however, few would recognize him or be able to name his accomplishments. Morris was “jovial, disabled, and a bit of a rake” (6). He had a wooden leg and a badly scarred arm but no shortage of girlfriends. He died after a painful, “undiagnosed infirmity” prompted him to use a whalebone from his wife’s corset as a DIY catheter. Despite these “unfortunate” details, Morris contributed to the founding of the United States “as much or more than” better-known founders (6).

Before launching into the investigation of how many other key players in American history were likewise forgotten, McMahon introduces herself. One Christmas morning, as a girl finishing her paper route just before dawn, McMahon saw spectacular auroras lighting up the sky above Lake Superior. The spectacle lasted only a few moments before the sunrise chased the aurora away. However, McMahon knows that the aurora didn’t vanish; it just became invisible in the sunlight.