The ideas expressed in our Declaration and Constitution were not new. They had been written about and discussed a lot in Europe. The Founders read these books as they were over hot topics. To be informed and knowledgeable, one would want to read and understand the philosophy behind the ideas.
What was revolutionary was the putting these ideas into practice. No other nation prior had attempted to put power into the hands of the masses and not live under a king or monarch. Many of the Founders hoped it would work, but were pessimistic about the entire thing. They would be shocked to see that everything they created is still running today. Many assumed it would fall apart after a few years.
