5th Blog Post

Throughout this first semester we have looked at opposing views of things like slavery and religion. By doing this I have gained a greater understanding of some subjects where I only had one opinion given to me. Looking at the founding fathers in a different light is one of those subjects. When we first began to look at the revolution we looked at the great things they had done (writing the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution), then explored how their reasons could have been completely selfish, then looked at how they made mistakes just like everybody else. These different views enabled me to create my own opinion about these extraordinary men.
First we understand that the founding fathers created our government to what it is today. They had to have a lot of foresight to create a stable government that has lasted as long as it has. They were creating something from scratch so they had to be creative and think of all possible problems that could occur. The intelligence displayed by the leading figures, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, James Madison and all the others, is shown through how they conducted themselves and how they are viewed today. The Declaration of Independence, and The Constitution are constant reminders of what the founding fathers did for our country. These men became hero’s to Americans and an ideal for what patriotism should be. Such articles as The Colossus of Independence John Adams, gave proof to how intelligent and inspired these men really were.
Since we were able to read the article, Founders of the Enlightenment, about how the founding fathers created the government to benefit their lifestyle, we gained another valuable insight into their lives. They all had a comparatively lifestyles that provided the luxury of education. By setting up the Constitution as they did, they were able to protect that lifestyle. They did not abolish slavery when they had the chance or, how they all spoke of freedom when many of them owned slaves. Their new government would protect the ideals they held that we do not understand in our modern setting or believe to be wrong; such as only educated men with land could vote, or you had to be a religious man to hold a public office. The founding fathers being so idealized as they are today, are hardly ever discussed in such a degrading matter. It was interesting to me to explore the selfish motives of these men as we did in this class. It added a new level to their personalities that I had not considered.
In some of our discussions we talked about the mistakes some of these great men had made. Thomas Jefferson had an affair with one of his slaves and was in major debt when he died; George Washington was a great leader but, made many mistakes on the battle field; John Adams was stubborn and not very open to new ideas. These men made mistakes and choices that would have been enough to ruin their careers if they were running for office today. However, they were held in such high esteem that they became great leaders of this country. As evidence of these mistakes come to life, their achievements tend to gloss over some of their imperfections. We as a modern audience also have a different view of our past leaders and we are willing to discredit them for such mistakes.
By looking at these many views about the Founding Fathers I was able to formulate an opinion of my own. The founding fathers were good men who made mistakes just like everybody else. That they were divinely inspired and created something good in the world which was completely new and unheard of. They had their faults and what they created was not perfect but, it was close as any man could get to a good government. I should not idealize them because they were mortal and prone to mortal mistakes but, honor what they did for the country I live in.