Founding Fathers

I've decided I'd like to study the give and take involved in replacing a strong governing monarchy with a gimped representative democracy.
So, I'm going to start reading more works by the Founding Fathers of America. Specifically I'd like to read some of Thomas Paine's works and George Washington's writings. I'd also like to read more about Charlemagne, one of the greater Monarchs of all time. And finally I think that Machiavelli's "The Prince" would be important in this study.
Possibly related to this subject is JS Mill's "On Liberty," Locke's Treatises of Government, and maybe even a book I've got on Foucault's political discussions involving balancing freedom and structure.

Partly what spurred this study is discussions I've been having with a co-worker. He pointed out how everyone seems to accept democracy as the end-all "government," the solution to all problems. Nothing like that should be simply accepted by all without discussion, especially in a society where we have public, centrally influenced, education systems.