The Most Evil Company

hello i am bob my name is herbert Preface: The Generation

The preface of Founding Brothers sets up the historical context and mood for the following chapters, putting an emphasis on the American Revolution, and its significance and inevitability. After the revolutions the astounding success and America's liberation from Great Britain, no one was certain America could hold its own for long. It had not yet established an active government and was deemed likely by many to fall apart into individual states. However, the founding "fathers" were determined to have America survive as a successful nation, so they initiated the Constitutional Convention in 1787 during which the American Constitution was created.

The focus on the term "brothers" rather than "fathers" when referring to the men who played major roles in founding a new nation. The fact that Ellis uses this term is the foundation upon how he will narrate the rest of the book.

He places emphasis on the human qualities of the men who formed this country. Since their personalities were so diverse and they all knew each other personally, they were able to address a wide variety of issues that required different points of view. In a family (hence "brothers") there will always be conflicts of interest because of different personalities, but the important thing is that they have to remain united or else nothing gets accomplished.

The preface sets into motion the story of what kind of mutual respect and cooperation was required amongst these individuals in order to stay true to their responsibilities.