Founding Brothers Chapter Summary

Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation, was an exceptional book written by Joseph Ellis. There a myriad of historical facts and quotes from some of the most salient figures in American history. These individuals have molded how the American society is today. Although many of these people made mistakes in their careers, these mistakes have changed us for the better. While their thought process may have been flawed, their executions of the ideas may have been carried out better. Some founding brothers include: George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. Throughout the book, we see the personal and political challenges faced by many of these individuals. The chapter, “The Farewell,” was one of the most interesting

Everyone has probably had some questions of why George Washington was our first President. What did Washington do that no other individual had completed? Why did the people praise and respect Washington so much? All those questions were answered in this chapter. We learn that one of the numerous reasons he was elected to the office was because of his physical appearance. As well as learning the reasons he took the role as president, we understand the reasons Washington retired. I was not aware of the fact he retired because of the many rumors that were floating around. Washington had so much abuse from the media and he eventually was tired of it. We typically hear about the Farewell Address and don’t ask any questions. We just assume that Washington said farewell; there is a whole other side to the address. He made smart decisions such as avoiding wars and issuing the Neutrality Proclamation. He mentioned staying neutral in international affairs in the address. I learned later in the book that Washington wasn’t very smart in the academic sense, which took me by surprise. Overall, Washington was a very wise man who set a respectable example for all presidents to