Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis

Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis

"Founding Brothers" by Joseph Ellis

Numerous writers have turned their attention to the period of the Declaration of Independence while searching for inspiration, and while some have produced modest texts, others have succeeded in retelling the story with great accuracy and in a reader-friendly approach.

Joseph J. Ellis's book "Founding Brothers: Revolutionary Generation" does not just have its plot focused on the 1776 document, as it concentrates on telling the stories of almost all of the key individuals involved in writing and issuing the document, and in those who played an essential role in the founding of the United States.

Abigail Adams, John Adams, Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington are all unique in character, but they are all united through the fact that they largely contributed to one of the freest and most influential nations on the planet. When developing the book, Ellis used significant documents and letters, so as to provide his readers with a thorough account regarding the founding of America.

All of the chapters in the book are opened through a small event that is meant to show the public the tension present in the states during the period. Chapter three, "The Silence," begins by depicting an episode in 1790 in which the congress is being delivered a letter from behalf of the Pennsylvania Quakers (who were then a small group), insisting that slave trade should be ended. However, the Quakers did not refer to the damaging effects which the institution of slavery had on the nation as a whole. It is probable that they were perfectly aware that slavery could not be fought easily, but that it could only be ended through a succession of events, each working against the establishment. Obviously, ending the African slave trade would surely have a beneficial effect on the American community.

One of the consequence of stopping the trade business would have been that slave-owners would no longer have the power to replace their subordinates whenever they wished, as the value of slaves would go up and with it their living conditions, as their masters would realize that they could not work a slave to death, given the fact that they such an act would only end in their loss, both economically and morally.

In spite of the fact that the Quakers brought numerous arguments to support their demand, congress was perfectly aware that a large part of America's economy depended on the slave trade, thus meaning that the deficit would be devastating for the country. In order to suppress the motion and prevent it from coming to a vote, congress performed various trickeries and succeeded in their endeavor. Even influential people, such as Benjamin Franklin, got actively involved in fighting slavery and even came in charge of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society. However, their power was limited and Franklin was quickly subdued and persuaded to drop his actions. The House of Senate stopped all demands related to ending or damaging slavery and prohibited politicians from approaching the topic.

In spite of the fact that such events did little to harm the institution of slavery, they were a forerunner for what was to come and they are at the basis of the powerful anti-slavery groups in the nineteenth century. From reading this chapter, one can learn that the second half of the eighteenth century was one of turmoil, when people were determined to influence changes on more than one level. While the anti-slavery supporters were determined to have justice, they were powerless in front of the institution, considering that it was responsible for much of the capital flowing into America.

Chapter four, "The Farewell," deals with George Washington, his character, and the events surrounding his career. People in the colonies all considered Washington to be their leader and the founder of the United States even before he actually took his place as president. While he was not a brilliant military leader or an extremely intelligent individual, he was very good at keeping the nation together and making it work to its full potential.

The Farewell Address produced by Washington served as inspiration for many Americans following on his footsteps, as it put forward a series of principles which virtually define the American nation.

Washington is often praised for some of the qualities he did not have, instead of being valued for his true attributes. Little people actually know that he was more of a diplomat than a man of action, and even fewer are aware that he was among the first leaders to see the power of a united nation.

Ellis provides a detailed account of each of the events, presenting his readers with new and intriguing information relating to Franklin, Madison, and Washington. The report regarding Washington is likely to be considered more interesting by some, given the fact that the author gives the first American president more attention in comparison to the one he pays to Franklin in the previous chapter.

Both Franklin's and Washington's stories show complexity and attention to details, with the author having gone through great efforts to provide the public with more than just boring historical facts.

Both Franklin and Washington were revolutionary in their character and this was proved best through the crucial positions they had in establishing the new nation. In spite of the fact that the author does not hesitate to present the attributes and the deficiencies in both leaders, one can easily observe that their actions absolve them of any error they committed across the period they were in charge of the country.