The Founding Fathers and Their Contribution

First and foremost a description is needed for those we look upon as the Founding Fathers of the United States. Some would say that the Founders made up two groups, those 56 who signed the Declaration of Independence designated as the Founders and those who signed the Constitution and are designated as the Framers. Personally I put the two groups together, a total of 95 individuals who participated and signed the keystone documents of our representative republic.

Many of these men fought in the Revolutionary War. Some were soldiers and some were officers. Some fought on the battlefield while others raised funds or contributed from their own fortunes to the American cause for freedom. These men were responsible for defeating the British and obtaining our freedom for England.

The story of America began with the Revolutionary War but it was not completed until the writing and ratification of the Constitution. It would be this Founding document that would lay out the type of government that would be used in the governing of the people. Fortunately for us and future generations the men responsible for the creation of our government were both thoughtful and knowlegeable

Our Founders recognized that governments fell into one of three categories. On the left there is what the Founders referred to as "Ruler's Law." Under this category we would find various types of governments. There was monarchy, oligarchy, socialism, fascism and communism. The power was in the hands of the monarch or a small group of men who would use government to enrich their own well being. While a monarch is generally thought of as a single ruler keep in mind that the King always had a council of some sort around him.

At the other end of the pole the Founders saw "No Law" or what we would refer to as anarchy. Here one would expect the rule of the mob or anarchists. It is not a good situation.

In the middle the Founders recognized Democracy or rule by the majority. The problem with a Democracy is that there is no protection of the minority voice in the community. It has, as was the case with anarchy, the appearance and potential of mob rule.

Yet within the middle is another form of government. That is a Republic or Rule of Law. Under a Republic, there is a document that outlines the form of the government and the powers of same. The leaders are elected by the people who are the true authority and government. The formation of our government was not an easy task. The vast majority of those at the Constitutional Convention never thought that it would take four months to put it together and many believed that it would not last. Indeed, Benjamin Franklin probably expressed a lot of the members feelings when he responded to the woman who asked him what type of government had he given the people. Franklin's response, "A Republic if you can keep it."