The American Revolution: Founding Fathers

No event in the late 18th century was as volatile and unpredictable as the American Revolution. Ellis narrates the deeply rare and unique story of how colonial America rose up together to beat the odds and became the largest republic ever in existence and how it could not have been done without the unlikely group of founding fathers who brought their uniqueness and differences together to create something much bigger than themselves. Those who were politically successful and influential during this time period often originated from a place of disadvantage. It was their intellect and hard work that helped them obtain their statuses. This is the American dream: to go from rags to riches, to be born from poverty but rise to the top. Had they been …show more content…
Firstly, the revolution succeeded because of the diverse personalities and ideologies of all of the founding fathers. Secondly, the cause revolved around these founding fathers’ face to face interactions which at times was deeply personal. Thirdly, slavery was removed from the political agenda. Because it caused such a great divide, it was swept under the rug altogether for the time being and therefore left out of the constitution. Lastly, the founding fathers were in many ways quite literally actors. Everyone involved in the cause was aware of their significance and therefore made sure that future generations would look back at them in awe and admiration for their courageousness, integrity, and …show more content…
Two Quaker delegations, one from New York, and the other from Philadelphia, presented petitions to the House calling for the federal government to do everything in their power to halt the slave trade immediately. Many like James Jackson, representative from Georgia, felt that this was an inappropriate overstep of condescension from a group that were hardly considered patriots due to their pacifistic refusal to fight in the war. The constitution also clearly stated that congress shall not pass any law interfering with the slave trade until 1808. The Quakers, as well as the Pennsylvania Abolitionist Society, believed that congress should be able to override this issue under the General Welfare Act. Different political leaders came up with their own ideologies as to why slavery should not be abolished. Jackson fought back with evidence from the bible that slavery was God’s will. But the greatest concern of those who were not pro abolition was that slavery was essential to the economy at the time. William Loughton Smith went as far as to assert that, “‘No white man would perform the tasks required to drain the swamps and clear the land, so without slaves it must be depopulated.’” While only a small minority of whites owned slaves, for many those who did, their entire livelihood depended on it. For abolitionists, the outlook was hopeful. Many northern states like Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Connecticut began