(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- Join award-winning historian David O. Stewart as he talks about his newest book, the Democracy We Must Keep, on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 in a virtual discussion, presented by the Ocean County Library. The event begins at 2:00pm.
Two hundred fifty years ago, passionate men attempted to create something the world had never seen before: a nation built not on kings or armies, but on ideas where the people ruled. The Democracy We Must Keep takes readers inside the nine key documents that shaped the formation of the United States – from Patrick Henry’s thunderous cry for liberty to the carefully crafted design of a government chosen by the people, with limits on all officials holding power under the Constitution.
Through the words of seven visionary founders – Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, Gouverneur Morris, and others – Stewart shows how a fragile experiment in self-government took shape. These men were not saints. They argued passionately. They worried that the new nation might fall apart. Yet together, they forged the principles that must still define American democracy: power must be limited, leaders must answer to the people, and individual rights must be protected by law.
As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, the Democracy We Must Keep urges readers to rediscover ideas that built the nation and to consider what it will take to protect them.
Registration is required for this free, virtual program. To register, visit tinyurl.com/DavidStewartOCL, call 732-349-6200, or visit your local OCL branch.
David O. Stewart has published eleven award-winning and bestselling books of history and historical novels. In 2023, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Washington Independent Review of Books. His most recent fictional series, the Overstreet Saga, is inspired by family stories his mother told.
The Democracy We Must Keep is available for Ocean County Library cardholders for free. Visit tinyurl.com/StewartBookOCL, or call or visit your local OCL branch.
