ipl-logo

Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation By Joseph J. Ellis

1147 Words5 Pages

Jordan Culver History 1301-4027 October 28, 2014 Founding Brothers Review & Response In the days of the American Revolution, Abigail and John Adams, Aaron Burr, Benjamin Franklin, John Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington were the key figures in the formation of a new nation. Their friendship, collaboration, and often contradictory ideologies would be the basis for forming the union between states, federal and state governments, national banks, political parties, and the future of the "New World" as a whole. Two conflicting interpretations and ideologies arise during and after the revolution, one is of Thomas Jefferson and his adherent's view that the revolution was a rebellion against the oppressors solely for …show more content…

Ellis uses his book "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" to relate major American historical events with the founding fathers, and also uses them to consider what the nature of history is. Ellis has two major ways or methods of writing that can be shown throughout his whole book, first he details historical events during and after the American Revolution with one or more of the founding fathers present. He uses this method to show the urgency and anxiety felt by the founding fathers. Although in modern times, it might seem as though the American Revolution was a predetermined set of events, they were not, the founding fathers were never quite sure this great experiment of theirs would succeed. This way of writing causes the audience to temporarily forget about the many great things to happen to The United States and shows them a glimpse of what they felt during the period; that any day could be their last, no success was guaranteed, and the creation of The United States of America was constantly open for risk of failure. This allows Ellis' audience to empathize with the truer characteristics of the founding fathers, essentially allowing the readers to relate to them on a more personal …show more content…

Thomas Jefferson and the other politicians who agreed with his views (Democratic-Republicans), were inclined to believe that the American Revolution was an act of pure rebellion, only unifying with the other colonies for a common goal of independence. Such a view, if strictly followed, would mean there would have been no reason for the colonies to stay unified, and this scenario would have surely been the end of an established powerful nation. Alexander Hamilton and the Federalists on the other hand, tended toward the view of advancing the current American experiment with a few sacrifices that would cause great turmoil amongst the states but ultimately unify them. One of these great sacrifices would be to establish a national bank in which state debt would become a total sum known as a national debt. His view was that unless each state felt indebted and/or dependent toward a federal government, that the union would eventually fall apart, and what made the United States powerful and capable of claiming their own independence would fade away. “Tell them from ME, at MY request, for God’s sake, to cease these conversations and threatening about a separation of the Union. It must hang together as long as it can be made to.” (Alexander Hamilton, 44) The author's main purpose in explaining these views is not to settle the dispute of

Show More
Related

  • 1775-1800: A Historical Analysis

    1124 Words  | 5 Pages

    Though colonies managed to eventually pay off the debt they owed, the economic system did not change drastically during that time period. At first, with the pitifully weak Articles of Confederation in place and it’s limits on taxation, the debt only got worse leading to the creation of the Constitution and a stronger central government that had more power to deal with money problems and manage them efficiently. Hamilton, as the nation’s first Secretary in the Treasury, began to shape fiscal policies in such a way that it favored the wealthy who would in turn lend the government monetary and moral support so that the masses would benefit. Then Hamilton began pushing excise taxes on all the states (including those that had already covered their debt) and the colonists retaliated with rebellion and protestations though they knew his policy and the taxes would take care of the debt more quickly. Hamilton also managed to win the permission of congress to create a national bank where extra Treasury money would be placed.

    Read More

  • Review Of The Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation By Joseph J. Ellis

    1788 Words  | 8 Pages

    The Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation is written by Joseph J. Ellis, who is a history professor at Mount Holyoke and is one of the best scholars of American history. The Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation was published in 2000 and received a Pulitzer Prize. It was Based on the founding fathers, which are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and Aaron Burr. Elli expresses throughout the book each founding father’s talents, intelligence, appearances and their triumphs. Nevertheless, the topic of the book is what these men went through to be well known which include their mistakes, struggles, and anxiety.

    Read More

  • 'Founding Brothers,' By Joseph Ellis

    239 Words  | 1 Pages

    Despite the thirteen colonies defeating Great Britain and gaining independence, new problems erupted regarding how their new nation should be governed. Founding Brothers, written by Joseph Ellis, highlights the challenges the founding fathers faced when attempting to establish a functioning government. Although there were many differing ideas, the widely known men discovered a middle ground allowing them to combat the challenges both at home and abroad, which resulted in the United States of America. Compromises were reached when solving a conflict, but before that stage, the founding brothers had many differing ideas preventing them to move forward. For example, the Compromise of 1790 was discussed with Madison and Hamilton over dinner hosted

    Read More

  • The Great National Bank Debate Between Thomas Jefferson And Alexander Hamilton

    1512 Words  | 7 Pages

    This included the idea of a single currency and having that throughout the U.S. as a way to make things simpler and more efficient (Digital History). This was something Jefferson did agree with saying “It may be said that a bank, whose bills would have a currency all over the states, would be more convenient than one whose currency is limited to a single state (Thomas Jefferson-University of Virginia Press).'' The only problem that Jefferson had with this was that banks would also control people's loans and control their credit. Jefferson thought this would only cause financial corruption throughout the U.S. He felt this would only undermine the state banks that were in order and create a “financial monopoly” only benefiting foreign interests and the wealthy.

    Read More

  • What Is The Time Of Our Founding Fathers In Revolutionary Characters By Gordon S. Wood

    944 Words  | 4 Pages

    Historian, Gordon S. Wood, takes the readers back to the the time of our founding fathers in Revolutionary Characters: What Made the Founders Different. His book enables us to critique our present political leaders based off the never forgotten achievements of the aristocrats who shaped an egalitarian society and politics. Wood figuratively paints eight portraits of self-made aristocrats who transformed a revolution into a prosperous country. He illuminates their lives with such interest and familiarity, one would think Wood was an observer among them. From this book, readers will understand how trials, wars, and critics all allowed men such as Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, and Thomas Paine to create the identity of America that we

    Read More

  • Hamilton Pros And Cons

    803 Words  | 4 Pages

    In 1790, Hamilton presented his financial plan to lift the nation of out its foreign and domestic debts, which included creating the Bank of the United States, also known as the federal bank. The creation of the federal bank proved to be Hamilton’s most contentious policy. The bank advanced Hamilton’s policy of regulating the economy through the federal government, which, in turn, would empower the federal government with greater political power to uphold liberty. Fearing the cronyism and bureaucracy that the federal bank would bring to the American government, Jefferson argued that the creation of the federal bank was, in itself, unconstitutional, as “the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, were reserved to the states… To take a single step beyond the boundaries specifically drawn around the powers of Congress is to take possession of a boundless field of power.”

    Read More

  • What Was Hamilton's Financial Plan

    157 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Bank of the United States was a necessity that our nation could not do without because it created a national currency, created new money through borrowing, and expanded the national economy. The bank would be the capstone of Alexander Hamilton 's financial plan. His plan was for the states debts and federal debts all be assumed by the federal government under the impression that it would bring the states closer to the national government. The willingness of the American people to repay their debts drew the attention of foreign investors. While the first part of Hamilton 's financial plan was successful, many people were still opposed to the idea.

    Read More

  • Alexander Hamilton Money Based Policies

    504 Words  | 3 Pages

    States Coast Guard, and the person (who started a company) of The New York Post. As the first Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton was the first (or most important) author of the money-based policies of the George Washington management. Hamilton took the lead in the money/giving money (to) of the states' (money owed) by the Federal government, (the creation of/the beginning of the existence of) a national bank, a system of taxes/import taxes, and friendly trade relations with Britain. He led the Federalist Party, created mostly in support of his views; he was fought (against) by the Democratic-Republican Party, led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, which hated Britain and feared that Hamilton's policies of a strong central government would weaken the American loyalty to/promise to

    Read More

  • Hamilton's Blessing Book Analysis

    1298 Words  | 6 Pages

    In the book, Hamilton’s Blessing, Gordon’s premise is that the national debt of the United States has become so high that concerned individuals no longer think of it. Gordon uses economic history and theory to explore the start, rise and decline of the United States Debt. The first sentence in his book reads “The United States was born in debt.” The book traces the ‘curse’ of the national debt dating back from 1792 when Alexander Hamilton proposed the virtues of America’s debt. Gordon offers a ‘biography’ of the debt making the book a human drama as he explains the positive myriads ways that it has influenced and shaped the history of America economy.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Alexander Jefferson And Thomas Jefferson

    1803 Words  | 8 Pages

    Rough Draft Politicians for two hundred years have invoked the Founding Fathers to defend their beliefs. It is understandable that as a society we place figures like Washington, Franklin, and Jefferson on a pedestal, as leaders of American independence they merit that recognition. Implying though, that the Founding Fathers ideas were in unanimity with each other would be a simple and mistaken assumption. These men, while intellectual giants in their own right, found little common ground on public, economic, and social policy. Heated debates, slander, and disagreement are as defining of the construction of the country as democratic elections.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Democrats And The Federalists

    524 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jefferson believed that each state would have there own bank. This would allow the states to have more control over currency. They would allow people to deposit their own money, the bank would also create their own currency. Hamilton found a problem in this

    Read More

  • Election Of 1800 Essay

    1544 Words  | 7 Pages

    However, the election of Thomas Jefferson was not a complete revolution due to the preservation of a strong central government and the social institutions of slavery. The election of Thomas Jefferson was revolutionary because it led to changes in the US political system through the establishment of norms for the transfer of power between differing political parties and the addition of the 12th Amendment. With the creation of political parties came increased tension between differing perspective on how to run the United States. In Jefferson’s inaugural speech, he speaks about how “the animation of discussions and of exertions” that came with his election “has sometimes worn an aspect which might impose on strangers, unused to think freely, and to speak”.

    Read More

  • The Founding Brothers Summary

    1081 Words  | 5 Pages

    In The Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph J Ellis, the founders of America-Washington, The Adams, Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison, Franklin, and Burr-are discussed and examined from top to bottom. He goes back in time and goes over the events that took place then, explaining to the reader how the decisions the leaders made created the ripple effect that it had on the current time period. Periods in the timeline such as Washington retiring from The Presidency, The arguing between the North and South side over African slave trade, and the issue of the countries national debt are examples of what he discusses. As the book progresses, the reader is given a chance to view the timeline of events from a modern perspective, and

    Read More

  • Democrats Vs Federalists

    1784 Words  | 8 Pages

    Hamilton, in the way he shaped the government, is considered rather shady, for lack of a better word; he took any methods to get what needed to be done, done. This was what typically led to the Jeffersonians’ attacks on him: not only were his actions, at times, difficult to justify, but they made him an easy target for the preying Jeffersonians. If we are to judge the parties solely by their figureheads, then we must take into account Jefferson himself, rather than basing our opinions of the Federalists on Hamilton’s ruthlessness and then taking an angle that makes the Jeffersonians Hamilton’s complete opposites. For all of Hamilton’s low points, it must be remembered that Jefferson was not so noble himself: the ideological differences between Federalists and Jeffersonians brought out the worst in the Founders. The fear of the “Hamiltonian juggernaut,” running a successful development of the nation’s government, was what triggered Jefferson’s increasingly vengeful moves against him and the Federalists.

    Read More

  • Comparing The Rhode Island Responses To The Kentucky And Virginia Resolutions

    975 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the early 19th century, the United States of America was still just a young nation trying to find its way. Two parties emerged as competitors for the people’s votes and the opportunity to enact their view of how the young government should be handled. On opposing sides were Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. The Federalist philosophy of Hamilton was less trusting of the common man and more valid for the time period given the state of the United States in the early 19th century than the Anti-Federalist views, divisive actions, and philosophy of a strict constitutional interpretation of Thomas Jefferson. Alexander Hamilton authored a great many of The Federalist Papers of the late 18th century.

    Read More

More about Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation By Joseph J. Ellis

Open Document