The attention of many readers and those interested in American history and culture can often be attracted to a phrase that occurs in American everyday life and political life, especially when it comes to history or some important contemporary events. Many members of the American establishment in their speeches refer 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 the period of the end of the American Civil War and the subsequent signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 and the US Constitution. In the 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 what the structure of American society should be in order to meet all the requirements of a population divided into two parts.
Of course, none of them sought to give power into the hands ofopposing side or cede their privileges, so extensive work has been done to find a solution.
What is the connection between Cleisthenes and the founders of the USA?
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. Having assessed the situation from all sides, they decided to apply for the new state the model used in the 4th century. Cleisthenes, who is deservedly called the founding father of Athenian democracy.
The ancient democracy of the time of Cleisthenes 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 in the time of Cleisthenes, the aristocracy differed in its qualitative characteristics from that which was present in Europe in the 18th-19th centuries.
What is the difference between the democracy of Cleisthenes and the one proposed by the founders of the USA?
The main difference was that the aristocracy of the time of Cleisthenes was still young and full of energy, had no tendency to conservatism and rigidity in maintaining their own privileges at the expense of other classes. As a result, given the time to reflect and develop 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 fully accepted by society and supported by all layers.
What are the features of the AmericanDemocracies were introduced by the Founding Fathers?
Building a society following the example of Cleisthenes 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 the degradation of society. So, one of the conditions that were introduced is the openness of the elites and the separation of powers.
These key points were implemented by the founding fathers of America through the change of power between different elites after a certain period of time with the participation of the general 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 of information dissemination bodies alternative to the ruling circles, which had only one restriction - the dissemination of information related to state secrets. But all this would be only words if the fundamental principle of respect for strict legality was not enshrined in all democratic procedures. Thus, the creators of the US Constitution took into account most of the wishes of a society divided by the 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" was only used for those who directly signed the Declaration of Independence. Later, based on the contribution to independence anddemocracy at the initial stages of formation, they were joined by those who were involved in the development of the Constitution, so today the lists of the founding fathers are conventionally 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 the urgent problems of American society and goals in life. With all this, representatives of the American elite who took part 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 cannot do without individuals who, with their outstanding abilities and ideas, can think wider than others and see not only urgent solutions, but also solutions that can influence the future success of what was conceived. One of the founding fathers of America and scientist Benjamin Franklin was such a person. 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 such fundamentals as the value of life, freedom and property into the document being developed, which made this document congenial to all opponents in the conflict.
How was the outstanding performance of Benjamin Franklin recognized?
Thanks to his work, Benjamin Franklin rightfully bears the title of First US Citizen. Paying tribute to his contribution to the formation of a young state, the image of Benjamin Franklin was placed on the most popular $100 bill in the United States today.
How do Americans feel about these events?
The creation of the US Constitution by the founding fathers was a landmark event for the new state. To this day, their contributions are deeply respected by all Americans. To perpetuate 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 in the United States. One of the most striking examples of reverent attitude towards the founders of the United States in America is Mount Rushmore. The inimitable and majestic monument to the founding fathers depicts the faces of 4 US presidents.
This is George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, who are some of the most famous founders of the US, and slightly behind Theodore Roosevelt as the successor to the establishment of democracy in the US. The 18 m monument clearly reflects the attitude of the American people to the importance of these people for the life and history of the United States.
