The Founding Brothers Summary

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In The Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph J Ellis, the founders of America-Washington, The Adams, Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison, Franklin, and Burr-are discussed and examined from top to bottom. He goes back in time and goes over the events that took place then, explaining to the reader how the decisions the leaders made created the ripple effect that it had on the current time period. Periods in the timeline such as Washington retiring from The Presidency, The arguing between the North and South side over African slave trade, and the issue of the countries national debt are examples of what he discusses. As the book progresses, the reader is given a chance to view the timeline of events from a modern perspective, and …show more content…

Before they came to this compromise, the Americans were divided mostly between the North and the South. The states were still independent and against the idea of a federal government overruling the people of the states. If the South hadn’t made the deal to help the North with its debt, they might have fallen into a extremely severe depression, and the nation might not even be together. Hamilton understood the need for the states to stand on a united front, which is why he supported The North. Madison led the South, which was against the taking on of the rest of the countries debt due to already being rid of their own. Madison and Hamilton both knew that some form of federal government was needed, but Madison was not for one on this scale. The People still remembered what rule under Britain was like, and were hesitant to put themselves back into a situation where history could repeat itself. In the end, the two were able to come to an agreement. The South got to choose the capital’s location, therefore deciding the location of the heart and soul of the country. Both had logical views, but Hamilton was right to try and explain the importance of unity. Though it would not be the last step on the path to becoming a whole nation, it was a step in the right direction that wouldn’t have been taken without leaders such as