The Founding Brothers By Joseph J. Ellis

The founding fathers, or as the book calls them the founding brothers, are an assorted group of men from wildly different backgrounds. In political terms, they were divided. Yet, they came to together to help shape this country into the place it is today. Now on their journey towards the making of this country they did encounter some trouble. They encountered heated debates among themselves though for getting through these debates they show just why they deserve to be called, founding brothers.

The chapters are titled "The Generation", "The Duel", "The Dinner", "The Silence", "The Farewell", "The Collaborators" and "The Friendship". In "The Duel", the story of the legendary duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr is related in its entirety. It was by far the most prominent deadly standoff between two men in history. Ellis relates the background and brief biographies of the two men involved in the duel. He also reveals the context for the duel, a culmination of political and personal jabs at Burrs character by Hamilton. In fact these jabs held a good deal of truth, and finally resulted in Burr challenging Hamilton. Both Hamilton and Burr went to the plains in Weehawken to conduct the duel in defense of their honor and characters. Historically, Hamilton is seen as a martyr in the duel and Burr seen as a treacherous murderer. This Hamiltonian viewpoint is dominant among historians because it is widely believed that Hamilton went into the duel not intending to fire a shot and that Burr fired the first shot. Ellis believes this version of the story to be wrong. He believes that Hamilton honored his bargain of not firing on Burr, wasting his first shot by firing it into the trees. Burr, thinking that Hamilton fired at him, shot and killed Hamilton with his shot.

One example Ellis provided about a member of the Quartet was George Washington. Ellis talks a lot of the presents Washington had on the country, but specifically what stood out was how impactful Washington was based off of his background:

Two important politicians who stood up for American people passing laws which supported U.S. citizen's right under the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights were Vice President Aaron Burr and President Alexander Hamilton. These two men are important in United States history for many reasons based upon U.S. politics, war tactics, education, and family values. Furthermore, Aaron Burr was the vice president of the United States during the term of President Thomas Jefferson. Compared to Alexander Hamilton who was a member of the Mainland Congress and a writer of the Federalist Papers. He was a winner of the Constitution and the first Secretary of the Treasury. In contrast to Alexander Hamilton; in 1769 Burr enrolled in the College of New Jersey and graduated in less than three years in summa cum laude. Then he enrolled in Litchfield Law School in Connecticut but stopped due to the Revolutionary War. In 1807 he was charged with conspiracy which corrupted his political career. Aaron Burr was a member of Congress and the New York state legislature. He was a delegate of the Federal Convention of 1787. He was centrally involved in the convention which led to the U.S. Constitution being produced and later ratified in 1787 and 1788. Although he ran for U.S. President, he did not win in contrast to Hamilton. In 1790 Hamilton's Federalist Party was separated within the Washington government and the country. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison motivated Hamilton's policies and movements. In 1795 Hamilton left the treasury to practice law. He was active in federal politics because this was crucial to win the presidency of John Adams. Around 1812, he decided to study law. Burr's father was active in church and became the Presbyterian minister and the president of the College of New Jersey. In contrast, Vice President Aaron Burr and his sister was raised by their wealthy uncle because their parents passed away early. His family tree consisted of English goodness who were active in politics. On February 6, 1756, Vice President Burr was born in Newark, New Jersey. Then on September 14, 1836 Vice President Burr died on Staten Island New York. In, contrast to Alexander Hamilton

David O. Stewart, by profession, is a lawyer with a resume that includes everything from arguing appeals at the Supreme Court level to serving as a law court to the acclaimed Junior Powell. But in writing The Summer of 1787: The Men Who Invented the Constitution (specifically, I read the First Simon & Schuster trade paperback edition May 2008, copyrighted in 2007), he uses that experience in law to prove himself a gifted storyteller. Two hundred sixty-four pages long, this United States history nonfiction book does indeed have the substance to engage the reader throughout. It has special features that include two appendices featuring the elector system and the actual constitution of 1787, author’s notes, suggested further reading, acknowledgments and an index (which escalate the total length of the book to three hundred forty-nine pages long).

They were part of the Commander-in-Chief’s staff under George Washington. Burr often supported Generals Lee and Gates protesting Washington’s proposals. Hamilton, regardless of his difference of opinions with Washington, often attacked Generals Lee and Gates. The duel between Hamilton and Burr on July 11, 1804 is considered today as being very symbolic in the political life of the country. Hamilton and Burr met in Weehawken and they each loaded their pistols in one another’s presence. They calculated the distance, and had someone else give the command. Hamilton and Burr both fired at the same time, with Hamilton being murdered with a shot to the abdomen. Consequently, the backlash that Burr was a traitor had spread throughout the political universe and it showed how Hamilton’s death caused political rifts that under any other circumstance might not have happened considering Burr was the Vice President of the United States. The purpose of this paper is to show if Burr’s killing of Hamilton is indeed justified. Hamilton, formerly said that he had by no means a dispute with Burr, other than they had opposing political views. (Hamilton vs.

Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton share a series of correspondence revealing their distrust towards each other. Burr challenges Hamilton, “name a time and a place, face to face” (266). Hamilton answers “I don’t want to fight” (267), but accepts the challenge: “Weehawken. Dawn. Guns. Drawn” (267) when he must. The two meet “across the Hudson and dawn” to duel. Hamilton “aims his pistol at the sky” (273) but Burr strikes him “right between his ribs” (273). The action stops before Hamilton dies, and Hamilton contemplates “Burr, my first friend, my enemy, may be the last face I ever see?” (273). Hamilton is taken away and Burr is left alone, considering his actions: “He may have been the first one to die, but I’m the one who paid for it.” He shows his obvious regret when realizing “The world was wide enough for both Hamilton and me”

5. According to Ellis’s explanation, why did Hamilton and Burr duel in the first place?

Before the Revolutionary War had occurred, many people were coming to the new colonies to start a new life; one of the people was Alexander Hamilton. He had come to the colonies after impressing people in the Caribbean and who then sent him to America to get a better education (“Alexander Hamilton”). Hamilton was an important figure in American history, but very few today remember who he was and what he did. Alexander Hamilton took a stand against traditional government by writing against and battling the British, fighting for the new U.S. Treasury, and arguing for the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

Ellis, Joseph J. Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2000. Print.

In Founding Brothers, the three most important chapters that impact America today were The Duel, The Silence, and The Farewell and the least important was The Friendship. The book is about our seven founding brothers and about different events that happened to them in post revolutionary America. It is a nonfiction book that was written to show what they experienced and how they interacted with others.

Whose side would you have been on in the 1790s, Thomas Jefferson’s or Alexander Hamilton’s? Both of these men served under George Washington in the first presidential cabinet, yet they had very different views of what government should be (Davis 86). My objective in this research essay is to inform the reader of why there was so much controversy between these two founding fathers, and to determine which side had the better views for our newly forming country.

The Founding Brothers has everything to do with today’s government. This country’s founding brothers blazed a path for America; they set standards, governmental goals and boundaries. If it wasn’t for George Washington setting a strong example for the presidency of the United Stated, he made sure our government was strong and well financed. George Washington started traditions

Friendship remained one of the major themes seen throughout Founding Brothers. Certain connections could change how things became accomplished and turned out. Knowing certain people can determine where you stand, what kind of reputation you hold, and sometimes what you are able to accomplish. Befriending and losing friends were ways the Founding Fathers were able to institute this nation.

Joseph J.Ellis provides an insight of how a nation emerged, with a group of memorable individuals that founded the American Republic. Founding Brothers deals with confrontations and crucial issues that Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Aaron Burr, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and George Washington encountered during an undefined decade where a fragile nation was being formed. With its main and secondary theme that focuses on the struggles the leaders of the Revolutionary Generation dealt with for the success of a Union, Founding Brothers is a marvelous book for historical readers that want an understanding of the political chaos of the early republic.