FD Article #2
by Bill Carns
We refer to the Founding Fathers of this country as the men who drafted “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America (Declaration of Independence), the Federalist Papers and the Constitution. But who are these men and can we trust in how they established our country?
by Bill Carns
We refer to the Founding Fathers of this country as the men who drafted “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America (Declaration of Independence), the Federalist Papers and the Constitution. But who are these men and can we trust in how they established our country?
Let’s look at the common factors of our Founders. First of all they were all born as British subjects under the rule of the British crown. Most were born here on American soil which was part of the British Empire.
All of the Founders experienced being taxed by the British crown without being represented in British Parliament, which was a violation of British law. There were no provisions for American colonists to send representatives to Parliament in England. Hence the term Taxation Without Representation.
Most of the Founders were well educated and all were interested in the politics of the day. They were scholars, community leaders, businessmen, published authors and land owners. And all were under the tyranny of King George II and the whims of British Parliament.
By the time the Founders convened to form the Constitution and, thus, the government of the United States they had all been victims of tyranny by their king, unduly taxed and burdened by British Parliament, offered political resistance to both the king and Parliament, committed high treason by ratifying the Declaration of Independence, fought in a war for the independence of the united States and were now involved in creating the framework for a new nation.
The education of the Founders was impressive and their experience was indispensable. Never before in the history of mankind had so many experienced scholars been through so much and fought so hard for their freedom, winning the independence of a nation in the process. Thus the wisdom of our Founders was literally unmatched in history.
They researched the history of every known form of government the world had seen, along with their makeup, successes and faults. They knew through history which forms of government failed and which thrived. They also learned which forms of government respected and protected the liberty of the citizens and which were oppressive.
Our Founders were the wisest group of nation creators ever assembled in history. Once all was said and done the Founders decided upon a Constitutional Republic.
It was one of our Founders by the name of Benjamin Franklin who was asked during the time of deliberations at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 as to which form of government was being created, he replied, “A Republic, Ma’am, if you can keep it.”
The Founders framed the Constitution which set severe limitation on the national government and set the rest of the authority to be reserved to each state or to the people, respectively.
All governmental authority is derived by consent of the governed (meaning us, the citizens). At no time would the government have any authority to do anything we did not consent to.
Now THAT was brilliant. So, can we believe in the intentions of the Founders? Absolutely. The Founders had wisdom and experience that has been unmatched in the course of human history.
Undoubtedly we were blessed with having the wisest assembly of nation creators in human history gather together at a time and place which culminated in the forming of the strongest country the world has ever known. The decision of the Founders to create a Constitutional Republic has been the bedrock by which the government is restrained and we the people retain ultimate control.
All of the Founders experienced being taxed by the British crown without being represented in British Parliament, which was a violation of British law. There were no provisions for American colonists to send representatives to Parliament in England. Hence the term Taxation Without Representation.
Most of the Founders were well educated and all were interested in the politics of the day. They were scholars, community leaders, businessmen, published authors and land owners. And all were under the tyranny of King George II and the whims of British Parliament.
By the time the Founders convened to form the Constitution and, thus, the government of the United States they had all been victims of tyranny by their king, unduly taxed and burdened by British Parliament, offered political resistance to both the king and Parliament, committed high treason by ratifying the Declaration of Independence, fought in a war for the independence of the united States and were now involved in creating the framework for a new nation.
The education of the Founders was impressive and their experience was indispensable. Never before in the history of mankind had so many experienced scholars been through so much and fought so hard for their freedom, winning the independence of a nation in the process. Thus the wisdom of our Founders was literally unmatched in history.
They researched the history of every known form of government the world had seen, along with their makeup, successes and faults. They knew through history which forms of government failed and which thrived. They also learned which forms of government respected and protected the liberty of the citizens and which were oppressive.
Our Founders were the wisest group of nation creators ever assembled in history. Once all was said and done the Founders decided upon a Constitutional Republic.
It was one of our Founders by the name of Benjamin Franklin who was asked during the time of deliberations at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 as to which form of government was being created, he replied, “A Republic, Ma’am, if you can keep it.”
The Founders framed the Constitution which set severe limitation on the national government and set the rest of the authority to be reserved to each state or to the people, respectively.
All governmental authority is derived by consent of the governed (meaning us, the citizens). At no time would the government have any authority to do anything we did not consent to.
Now THAT was brilliant. So, can we believe in the intentions of the Founders? Absolutely. The Founders had wisdom and experience that has been unmatched in the course of human history.
Undoubtedly we were blessed with having the wisest assembly of nation creators in human history gather together at a time and place which culminated in the forming of the strongest country the world has ever known. The decision of the Founders to create a Constitutional Republic has been the bedrock by which the government is restrained and we the people retain ultimate control.
“Although a republican government is slow to move, once in motion, its momentum becomes irresistible.”
- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Francis C. Gray, 1815