Opposing Views Of Howard Zinn And Gordon S. Wood

The United States is a government founded upon the principles of equality, or are we? That is the question studied and debated by historians of American history. Our founding fathers motives are scrutinized through the study of their personal letters, historical documents, and public records. Two historians, Howard Zinn and Gordon S. Wood, support opposing viewpoints. Howard Zinn describes the Founding Fathers as only interested in writing the Constitution to upholding the wealthy’s power. However, Gordon S. Wood presents evidence social status was more of a deciding factor on who supported a strong central government or an independent state assemblies. Each of these positions are examined and their merits discussed as it relates to

Beard held the framers of the Constitution did not write it to entirely benefit themselves, but those they represented. The Founding Fathers consisted mostly of men of means, and they believed a strong federal government would support the needed economic growth of the country. Several interest groups they represented included; slavers, manufactures needing protective tariffs, persons interested in expanding into Indian lands wanted protection, bondholders wanted the government to raise taxes to pay off the bonds they held, and moneylenders did not support the use of paper money. However, the common man did not have the wealth to have their vision supported. Even those who held small land holdings found they were not well represented, and slaves, indentured servants, women, men without property were not represented at

He believed the local state assemblies abused their powers, only spoke for their local interest, changed their membership constantly, and enacted unjust laws. He believed ratifying the Constitution to a strong central government was the only option for the young country to succeed. Madison adopted David Hume’s idea, a strong republican government might perform better in a large setting rather that a small one. He convinced the American public of this idea through a series called the Federalist Papers. Madison thought a citizen’s rights were more protected with a central government rather than a local state government. The Federalist did not believe ordinary men could be trusted to elect men of character: Cosmopolitan men. The process intended, was with fewer men to be elected the people would vote for the most prominent man, most often of aristocratic birth; however, the distinction of a Cosmopolitan man was becoming more blurred as the social lines were less defined after the Revolution. The decision to take power from the local government and give it to the more liberal central government started with the Federalist movement and has been evoked throughout American’s