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“Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation” is a book about the American history and its leaders. It focuses on the personal characteristics of the presidents and aligns it to the public lives the men have led. The author, Joseph John Ellis is a historian who has a lot of experience writing in a genre that is both historical and biographical.
Joseph Ellis is thought to be a talented writer and his Pulitzer Prize is the proof of that fact. As he is a historian and a professor, he has a rich understanding of the subject.
Ellis has written several books dedicated to presidents, such as “His Excellency: George Washington”, “American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson”, “Passionate Sage: The Character and Legacy of John Adams” and other. His intended audience is adults who are interested in history, but also political members who might get an insight into the mistakes and correctness of ruling a nation.
It is directed at the general public in order to educate and show people how valuable and irreplaceable some leaders are while others might require careful consideration. “Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation” has been finished in year 2000 and is a mix of history and biography of the famous presidents of America.
The book covers a time period from 1790s and links the past to the present. It closely describes the techniques of each ruler and unique characteristics that each one had. Even though it might seem strictly political, it has a lot of links to economic state of affairs, social lives of the population, as well as personal qualities of presidents and a just individual.
The most general theme of the book is history and how it is viewed by people and historians themselves. It provides a deeper meaning to the events that took place in the past and how the future can be built on those past situations and decisions.
Friendships and the relationships between the “Founding Fathers” is another theme that gives audience a perspective on how connected the men were and what came out of their cooperation and communication. All major and minor themes of the book join into a common one where the interplay of personal relationships, mutual understanding, respect, society and the want to build a strong country play an important and critical role.
The book starts with events that took place from 1790s on. This was one of the major times in American history, as the nation was being shaped and built by its founders. There are many events that are described, relating to both public and private lives of great men, and the work is separated into 6 chapters: “The Duel, The Dinner, The Silence, The Farewell, The Collaborators and The Friendship”.
“The Duel” talks about events that took place on July 11, 1804. Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr were dueling on the field on Weehawken, but Ellis specifies that this is not precise. In reality, the duel took place on a cliff above water, near Weehawken.
The conflict between Hamilton and Burr was both political and personal, as Hamilton called Burr “despicable” in relation to Burr’s political interests and his allegiance to the unity of the nation. Hamilton is said to have missed purposefully, as it was not his intention to kill Burr and he was hoping on a resolution through words. Burr shot Hamilton and wounded him, which resulted in Hamilton’s death the next day.
“The Dinner” describes the meeting of Hamilton and Madison over dinner, which was set up in order to discuss the future of the nation and their actions. As Madison and Hamilton had somewhat opposite views, Jefferson was hoping that the dinner would help find common ground and choose the best course of action.
The dinner took place at Jefferson’s home and had positive results. The outcome was that the Assumption and the Residence Bills were passed. There was some speculation that the result was deliberately planned and “fixed” but in reality, it was the compromise hat was reached by two political members.
“The Silence” pertains to the question of slavery and the long time it took to get resolved. The government seemed adamant in the question and people were trying to avoid open discussion of the issue. Benjamin Franklin is noted to be one of the most important figures in abolishing slavery and a connection to the Constitution is made. The chapter also describes a different point of view that politicians had towards such an important problem, and how some were in support even in the face of building a new and moral nation.
“The Farewell” chapter is dedicated to George Washington and his image at the time of presidency and during his resignation. It mentions an important point that George Washington was considered to be the Father of the nation, and people had strong belief in Washington as the best president of all.
His greatness is confirmed by his actions on the battlefield, as well as on the political front. Also, before George Washington’s resignation, there was no particular order which established the period of presidential ruling. Washington wanted to show the nation that it is not the person in charge who makes it a great nation but the people and the nation themselves.
“The Collaborators” talks about the relationship between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Even though they were strong friends and built the nation together, the presidential election made them competing for the same spot. This sort of rivalry brought an end to a long and close relationship. Ellis wanted to show that politics is a great force and sometimes it is strong enough to even break the friendship of two mutually respecting people.
“The Friendship” links to the previous chapter and describes the renewal of friendship between Adams and Jefferson. Even though its renewal took some time and there was some animosity and displeasement, the two men finally reconciled and corresponded with one another until their final days. The chapter summarizes the relationships of the nations “Founding Brothers” and the historical significance they have had (Ellis, 2008).
Ellis has done a great work, supported by the original historical documents, secondary sources and own opinion. The author has proven the thesis of the book, as the “Founding Brothers” were indeed connected and have had a significant impact on the American nation’s past and present.
Also, because the book is written in an objective manner it is easy to grasp the importance of the historical events. The easy to read style makes the book interesting and absorbing. It is a very useful and purposeful work because it makes one to re-consider the history and the major roles played by great people.
Works Cited
Ellis, John. Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation. Paradise, CA: Paw Prints, 2008. Print.
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