Founding Brothers

Founding Brothers

Historical events

Chance

Founding brothers give praises to the founding fathers whose life had offered a chance to enjoy a god-like reputation due to their patriotism to save the nation, which was in captivity. The founding fathers had a chance to be emblematic of the revolutionary era as well as the nation that came about as an outcome. Even though in the revolutionary era, people wanted to do away with the god-like structure of the European monarchy, the founding fathers were and up to date are imbued with god-like status. The author says that they well deserve this chance.  The author also says that the founding fathers had a chance to collaborate among men, leading to the shaping of the nation, America. The reign also gave a chance for politicians to be seen as gods. It is because they had a chance of operating through collaboration instead of the arbitrary, ultimate authority of a single headship or king. Finally, the new structure of political management depicted by the seven founding fathers of the revolutionary era was of a team of superiors whose power was kept in check by their variations as well as conflicts giving the nation an opportunity to get independence or self-rule.

Coincidence

All through the book, the author highlights how disputes and conflicts had both political and private origins, the disagreements between Burr and Hamilton that resulted in the duel in which Hamilton was assassinated came about as a result of Burr’s disappointments politically and coincidentally.  Part of it was blamed on Hamilton’s constant negative comments concerning his personal behavior. Correspondingly, the tensions amid Jefferson and Washington that took place towards the end of the reign of George Washington were coincidentally a blend of personal and political conflicts. This episode explains an invaluable hint to the greater and further impersonal political concerns that were perceived by George Washington when he composed the farewell speech. Coincidentally, Adams and Jefferson subsequent to Thomas Jefferson’s triumph as the president, however, underpinned by political issues, was stirred up by Abigail Adams’ attack on Jefferson’s personal behavior. Therefore, in each of these instances, there was a coincidence whereby their conflicts, as well as disagreements, were brought about by personal and political concerns.

Fate

The story highlights that the founding fathers should be admired for the capability of achieving compromise in these extremely hard situations, an example of a victorious resolution of conflicts well explained by Ellis is a compromise of 1790. It is when Alexander Hamilton fatefully achieved his goal of the federal government presuming state debts, while Madison and Jefferson were given their wish to have the country’s capital in the south. The conflicts resulting in this compromise were severely serious and intimidating to the nation. At times, the resolution appeared so unlikely as to seem ludicrous as depicted by the members of the congress who joked that the capital required to be put on wheels and move from one area to another. Nonetheless, via trust, bargain, and discussion, the leaders reached a compromise which is well-known for prevention of political crisis that many people at the time regarded as a threat to the survival of the young nation. Therefore, the fate of the country had to be protected earlier.

The author acknowledges that the decision of the founding fathers to dodge the issue of slavery assisted the United States to survive its first years as a self-rule nation. Nonetheless, the founding brothers also stress that it was not just for real reasons that the slavery matter was put to one side. The founding fathers faced internal disagreements concerning the problem of slavery, as is made evident by the evasive and contradictory actions and statements on the issue. Whereas most of them were in unison in condemning the slave trade as an ethical evil, others suppressed and avoided serious debates of prohibition. For instance, Madison claimed that the deliberation of the ban was counterproductive, political, premature, and impractical. Therefore, the fate of the slave trade was in the hands of the founding fathers.

Luck

The book demonstrates that some political leaders from this generation were linked with American principles to an absolute extent. The author calls Benjamin Franklin prototypical American and goes ahead to mention that people linked president Washington with the new country so much that they were frightened that if he died, the republic would die with him. Therefore, George Washington was lucky to be associated with the goodness of self-rule. To a certain degree, Washington and Franklin set a fairly impractical standard to which the other founding fathers then struggle to attain. Being the first leader of a newly born nation meant that there was a great deal of pressure to symbolize the principles of the country, even when those principles were still being defined and developed. Therefore, America, as a nation, was lucky to be independent. They were also fortunate to have a president, George Washington, who was so devoted to ensuring that the new nation’s goals were achieved.