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Civil War In Joseph Ellis The Founding Brothers

879 Words4 Pages

The novel, The Founding Brothers, is a piece of historical literature written by Joseph Ellis that follows the lives of the founding fathers of the United States of America. The story begins as the nation was just entering its beginning days of freedom as the Constitution was being tweaked to perfection, despite differences of opinion the authors of the document faced. The story then proceeds to tell the tale of Burr’s defeat of Hamilton as a result of their famous duel, and Ellis stresses the importance of knowledge of the context of the quarrel. The author then analyzes the truth regarding the dinner discussion of important issues between Jefferson and Madison, and how the account could very easily have been tainted by Jefferson’s bias. Shortly afterwards, the issue of slave trade and the manner in which the issue was handled is analyzed. Subsequently, George Washington’s farewell address is praised and the relationship between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson is …show more content…

The fact that the issue was postponed can be deemed very useful for it indicates that rather than facing the problem directly, the leaders of the nation chose to put it off. Ellis’s decision to reference the ultimate price the nation had to pay through the Civil War greatly validates his thesis for it proves that if the founding fathers had been more proactive regarding the subject, a more peaceful result may have become. Finally, Ellis supplies the reader with information regarding Benjamin Franklin, the sole founding father to clearly take a side in the debate. This was an intelligent decision by the author for it proves that he shows all the facts, not solely the ones that support his side of the

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