What were the motives of the Founding Fathers in forging our nation? Oh, that we could hear their personal intentions today as a country so as to be thoroughly fair and accurate in our judgement of them.
Let us be considerate of them by making this a matter of careful study, focused on documented quotes and primary source writings to determine their intentions. Did they forge the Union to protect their own economic interests or for a love of freedom?
The cynical take
Two writers believe the Founding Father’s economic interests were at the forefront. Howard Zinn, author of “A Young People’s History of the United States," writes:
“Around 1776, some important people in the British colonies of North America made a discovery. They found that by creating a nation and a symbol called the United States, they could take over land, wealth, and political power from other people who had been ruling the colonies for Great Britain. When we look at the American Revolution this way, it was a work of genius. The Founding Fathers created a new system of national control that has worked very well for more than two hundred years.”
Charles A. Beard’s 1913 book, “An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States,” proposes that the Constitution was a tool of American wealthy landowners who were attempting to legitimize and maintain their political and economic power in the new nation.
The author suggests those who constructed the Constitution only represented their upper class, while farmers and laborers were hardly thought about by these men.
Evidence of courage
These arguments are mistaken. When Patrick Henry’s battle cry roused the patriots to fight, he did not say, “Give me economic wealth or give me death” — it was liberty he raised as a rallying cry for the people.
That freedom was the energizing force behind the quest for independence. As the French observer Alexis de Tocqueville wrote in "Democracy in America," “These Founding Fathers publicly announced their treason against Britain — a country and government they had previously loved — when they pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to the cause of independence.”
In pre-Revolutionary War times, approximately half of American exports went to Britain and Ireland. Between 1762 and 1775, exports to Britain doubled and America enjoyed 75% of its imports coming from Britain, according to historian Robert Paul Thomas.
Thus, it would have been economically profitable for the colonial world to remain connected to Britain than to wander off and start from scratch financially.
“On the eve of the Revolution, America was experiencing rapid extensive growth,” writes Vanderbilt historian Jeremy Atack. “The Revolution, however, plunged the country into a new and uncertain political and economic environment.”
Why would the Founding Fathers put their lives on the line to protect their economic interests when interests of the upper class were effectively protected under the British Empire?
The witness of Washington
During his time as commander of the Continental Army, George Washington used his own money, when possible, to relieve the conditions of his soldiers. When Washington became our first president, he initially declined a salary, later accepting to avoid setting a precedent that only wealthy individuals could serve as president.
He would be president, but not king.
Thomas Jefferson in 1814 said of George Washington: “It may truly be said, that never did nature and fortune combine more perfectly to make a man great, and to place him in the same constellation with whatever worthies have merited from man an everlasting remembrance.”
“These are my opinions of General Washington,” he added, “which I would vouch at the judgment seat of God, having been formed on an acquaintance of thirty years.”
George Washington himself said to his fellow countrymen and women, “Your love of liberty, your respect for the laws, your habits of industry, and your practice of the moral and religious obligations, are the strongest claims to national and individual happiness.”
Could this person who led the fight for freedom and for whom more monuments have been erected than any other American, have had the motive of financial success and monopoly as his greatest desire?
In describing our Founding Fathers, historian Henry Steele Commager calls them “a galaxy of leaders who were quite literally incomparable. What explains this remarkable outpouring of political leadership, this fertility in the production of statesmen — a fertility unmatched since that day?”
Barbara W. Tuchman, a historian, journalist and author, reflects, “It would be invaluable if we could know what produced this burst of talent from a base of only two and a half million inhabitants.”
Seeing the founders truthfully
Contemplate the possible extermination of these signers of the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution of the United States, who actually put their names to documents defying British rule knowing it might not work — many of whom faced tragic consequences in their own families as a result.
Benjamin Rush once said that war and even deadly defeat would be preferable to loss of liberty. He recalled that when these men were signing the Declaration of Independence, they felt the “pensive and awful silence that pervaded the house might be our own death warrant.”
Two hundred years after the Founding Fathers, we live in an information age. As convenient as it is to have access to unlimited information, facts and statistics, they are not always completely accurate. In fact, artificial intelligence models are trained on information and data which can be incomplete, biased or contain inaccuracies, leading to flawed outputs.
In honor of the great men and women who sacrificed, lived and died to establish our great United States of America, may we choose to see their pure intentions, as reflected in the actual details of history itself.
Is that not what we would want for ourselves?
When it came time for the states to ratify the Constitution, because of his poor health, Benjamin Franklin needed help to sign the document. As he did so, tears streamed down his face.
Our liberties in the United States today are a result of balanced power and authority defined in this precious document created 200 years ago. Does that arise from the efforts of selfish men?
In the Bible, the Savior himself says, “Ye shall know them by their fruits.” It would be hypocritical of us to celebrate our freedom of speech and freedom of religion as we attack and fault the very tree that produced such rights.
“A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit,” the Lord continues (Matthew 7:18).
The Declaration of Independence, the Revolutionary War, the Constitution of the United States of America and all the ensuing actions and words of great minds and courageous hearts (not perfect by any means) represent a good tree developing a land of freedom.
May we never forget it.
The author expresses thanks for helpful feedback and editing from Tad R. Callister.