The attention of many readers and those interested in American history and culture can often attract the phrase that occurs in American life and political life, especially when it comes to history or some important modern events. Many representatives of the American establishment use in their speeches a reference to documents and letters written by the founding fathers, and sometimes it seems that for the American people these people are some kind of truth in the first instance.
Who are the Founding Fathers?
To understand this issue, you need to turn to history, namely, to the period of the end of the Civil War in the USA and the subsequent signing of the Declaration of Independence of July 4, 1776 and the US Constitution. In conditions of large-scale devastation caused by the split of society, in the context of further development and political structure, representatives of the republican side thought about the question of how the structure of American society should be in order to meet all the requirements of a divided into two parts of the population.
Of course, none of them sought to give power to the opposing side or to give up their privileges, so extensive work was done to find a solution.
What is the connection between Klisfen and the founders of the United States?
It is worth noting that all the founding fathers of the United States were representatives of the aristocratic circles of America and had extensive knowledge in many areas, which played an important role. Assessing the situation from all sides, they decided to apply the model used in the 4th century for the new state. Klisfen, who is deservedly called the founding father of Athenian democracy.
Antique democracy from the time of Klisfen interested the founding fathers of the United States in that under the conditions of government by aristocratic circles and subject to certain rules and legality by all members of society, support for such a system was present in all sectors of society. Of course, it is worth noting that at the time of Klisfen the aristocracy was distinguished by its qualitative characteristics from that which was present in Europe of the 18th-19th centuries.
What is the difference between Clisfen’s democracy and the one proposed by the US founders?
The main difference was that the aristocracy of the times of Klisfen was still young and full of strength, had no tendency to conservatism and rigidity in maintaining their own privileges at the expense of other classes. As a result, if there was time for reflection and development of the idea of democracy in the aristocratic society of Athens, a working version of such a society was created. At the same time, the leadership of aristocratic circles was completely accepted by society and supported by all sectors.
What features of American democracy were introduced by the founding fathers?
Building a society following the example of Klisfen almost completely suited the creators of the US Constitution. The Athenian example was taken as a basis with additions that allowed the chosen course to remain working for a long time and not lead to degradation of society. So, one of the conditions that have been introduced is the openness of the elites and the separation of powers.
These key points were realized by the founding fathers of America through a change of power between different elites after a certain period of time with the participation of the main population and maintaining a balance between different political circles, which would not allow supporters of one direction to receive full power. The monopoly in the media was denied and there was complete freedom for alternative information authorities that had only a limitation to the ruling circles — the dissemination of information related to state secrets. But all this would be only words, if the fundamental principle of observing strict legality to all democratic procedures were not enshrined. Thus, the creators of the US Constitution took into account most of the wishes of a society divided by war and were able to quickly lead it to a peaceful life and prosperity, which is carefully preserved in the memory of many US citizens.
About the Founding Fathers Lists
An interesting fact is that the original “founding father” appeal was used only for those who directly signed the Declaration of Independence. Later, based on the contribution to independence and democracy at the initial stages of formation, they were joined by those who worked on the constitution, so today the lists of founding fathers are conditionally divided into two parts.
Who worked on the Declaration?
Among the people who worked on the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution, there were a large number of highly educated people of that time who had very different views on the processes taking place in the country and the world, different approaches to solving urgent problems of American society and goals in life. At the same time, representatives of the American elite who participated in the development of the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution understood that in order to overcome the large-scale crisis in the country, it was necessary to come to a unified position that could fully satisfy demand.
Benjamin Franklin
The solution to such a problem can not do without individuals who, with their outstanding abilities and ideas, can think more broadly than others and see not only pressing solutions, but also solutions that can affect the future success of what was conceived. Such a man was one of the founding fathers of America and the scientist Benjamin Franklin. His figure stands out among others in that, being self-taught, he achieved recognition in the scientific field not only in America but also in Europe. Benjamin was able to introduce into the document under development such principles as the value of life, freedom and property, which made this document congenial to all opponents in the conflict.
How was the prominent role of Benjamin Franklin marked?
Thanks to his work, Benjamin Franklin rightfully bears the title of First US Citizen. Paying tribute to his contribution to the establishment of the young state, the image of Benjamin Franklin was placed on the most popular banknote of the United States today with a face value of $ 100.
How do Americans relate to these events?
The creation of the US Constitution by the founding fathers was a landmark event for the new state. Until today, their contribution has been deeply respected by all US residents. To commemorate the founding fathers in history, a large number of memorial sites were created and Constitution Day was proclaimed, which is still one of the main holidays of the United States. One of the most striking examples of a reverent attitude towards the founders of the United States in America is Mount Rushmore. An inimitable and majestic monument to the founding fathers depicts the faces of 4 US presidents.
These are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, who are some of the most famous founders of the United States, and Theodore Roosevelt, who is a little behind, as a continuation of the cause of democracy in the United States. The 18 m monument clearly shows the attitude of the American people to the importance of these people for the life and history of the United States.