Role of Founding Fathers in American History

The  term Founding  father  of  United  States of  America  refers  to  prominent  men, states men , patriots  and  political  leaders  that  participated  in  American  revolution.  This individuals  were  from  the  thirteen  British  colonies  in  northern  America  that spearheaded  the   revolution  against  the  British  crown  thus  leading  to  birth  of  United  states  of  America.

While  there is  no  specific  criteria  for  exclusion  or  inclusion ,  so as to  be  part  of   this selected  group  required  enormous  contribution  during  either  the  American  revolution during  which  independence  was  worn  or  during  the  constitutional  convection  when nationhood  was  achieved.  However the list of members   may  either  reduce  or  increase  in relation  to  ideological  prejudices  and  political  pressures  at  that  moment.

         The  founding  fathers  were  responsible  for  creation  of  the  modern  nation  state  that was  guided  by  liberal  principles.  It  included  the  democratic  principle  which  states  that the  political  sovereignty  of  any  government  lies  with  the  citizens  and  not  in  a  divinely  sanctioned  monarchy.  The  capitalistic  principle  said  that  economic  productivity  is  dependent  on  the  individuals  release  of  individual  energies  on marketplace  and  not  on  state-sponsored  policies.

The  moral  principle  stated  that  the  individual  and  not  the  society  nor  state  , is  the sovereign  unit  in  the  political  equation  and  judicial  principle  that  every  citizen  is equal  before  the  law.  This liberal formula has thus become the most preferred political reference in the world today.

The  founding  fathers  managed  in  defying  conventional  wisdom  through  four  main achievements.  First, they  invented  political  parties  which  in  hand  with  the  constitution came  up  with  the  idea  of  a  legitimate  opposition  party.  The  founders  republican ideologists  called  for  the  subordination  of  narrow  interests  to  the general  welfare  of  the community. Under  this  ideology  politics  was not  intended  to  be  competitive  but  rather be  rational  and  collaborative.  They  had  the  believe  that  political  parties  would  bring the  government  to  destruction  and  there  place  was  not  guaranteed  in  the  American democracy.

They  believed  that  representative  governments  required  the  sub  ordination  of  individual  personal  interests  to  communities  welfare  and  that  the  importance  of political  process  was  all  about  identifying  common  good.  Politics  was  not  about competition  and  disagreement  and  its  final  result  was  not  to  put  one  side  as  winners and  other  losers  but  all  electorates  to  be  have  a  common  vision. Thus as good republicans they    felt that parties threatened this collaborative process.  Had  the  political  community  differed  as  a  result  of  their  different  interests their  hard  work  in  such  of  common  good  would  be  lost.  Politics  will  lead  to  battles amongst  conflicting  fractions  and  thus  results  from  elections  would  have  led  to  divisions  rather  bringing  them  together.

Secondly,  they  created  the  first  of  a  kind  large  scale  republic of  the  modern  world. All the  founders  came  to  an  agreement  their  independence  from  great  Britain  was  non-negotiable  and  whatever  government  that  was  established  after  the  British  rule must  be  a  republican  in  nature.

         Thirdly,  they  won  the  war  for  colonial  independence  against  the  most  powerful military  and  economic  power  in  the  world  at  that time. In order to secure freedom and liberty  of  the  American people the founding  fathers declared  independence, dedicated their  lives  and  fought  American  revolution  on  basis  of   principles  that  included  limited  government,  social  compact  and  unalienable  rights.  Before the French and Indian war (1756-1763) the colonists individually flourished liberatively.  After  this conflict  the  British  empire  was  completely  against   that  power  and  autonomy  and directed  the  payment  of  taxes  to  cover  for  the  huge  loses  that  were  made  doing  the war.  This  taxes  were  resisted  by  the  founding  fathers  on  the  basis  that  parliament  had no  powers  to  tax  the  colonialists.  The founding fathers knew that was a direct challenge to the government, social life and citizens’ rights.  This  lead  to  revolution  as  they  viewed this  as  a  infringement  of  their  liberty.