"Founding Brothers"

LTBF · Jan 1, 2002

I have almost finished reading this interesting book, and came across a line that I absolutely love, especially in light of having read John Adams, which featured Thomas Jefferson so prominently.

In the chapter entitled "The Collaborators" the author called Adams and Jefferson "the Odd Couple" of the Revolution! Love It!

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CapstoneStan · Jan 4, 2002

I finished this right after Christmas. Unlike the Hamilton bio, I did find this book made some interesting points. The general silence of the Revolutionary generation on the slavery issue was a particularly interesting discussion. I felt the chapter on the Adams-Jefferson correspondence was almost repetitious after reading the Adams bio. All in all, I thought this book a good read.

LTBF · Jan 5, 2002

Stan, having read the Adams bio made it easier to understand some of the points this author wanted to make.

I loved the chapter dealing with the Aaron Burr-Alexander Hamilton duel.

He made some good points dealing with the silence about slavery, his point being that if they had tried to deal with the question of slavery at that early time, they would have sunk the Union. What they did was manage to postpone it until later. Of course, when the situation finally HAD to be dealt with, the Civil War was the result.

The Union was mended after the Civil War. It probably couldn't have been in 1800 or so.

And Jefferson came off in this book the same way he did, for me, in the Adams bio: Completely and totally complex, contradictory, and complicated. If he hadn't been such a genius, he would have been a buffoon!

ROLL TIDE FOREVER!

CapstoneStan · Jan 6, 2002

The discussion in this book of the Burr-Hamilton duel is actually better than that in the Hamilton bio I have recently read.

As to Jefferson, he is very much the biggest enigma of the personalities of the revolutionary generation. Very talented, very complex and perhaps very flawed---he is almost the Bill Clinton of his time. I hope you will excuse that comparison. I would say that Clinton's accomplishments tend to pale in comparison with Jefferson, but their personal lives are not all that dissimilar.

BamaNation · Jan 11, 2002

having read biographies or original writings of most all involved in this book, i too found it interesting to see the connections that are highlighted. the side stories and caveats make for very interested reading for those who enjoy this incredible period of american history. every time i read books from this period, i always ask myself 3 questions:

1) are the decisions taken by the principals involved respectable given what they knew at the time and are those decisions still respectable today given what we know they knew.

2) what would i have done

3) are there americans alive today who, if they lived at that period of time and knew only what they knew, would come to the same conclusions and make the decisions they made to keep the Union together?

there were some great men who were in the right place at the right time who did (mostly) the right things in the face of great struggles.

the slavery issue is always one that we can look back upon with better than 20/20 hindsight, so it always becomes clouded by our enlightened vision. however, the right decision was ALMOST made but was tragically allowed to become the proverbial wedge.

jefferson, washington, & many others who owned slaves believed that slavery should end immediately, but they didn't come up with an acceptable solution that would prevent the union from becoming un-united. that's the tragedy of our history and 80+ years later a huge price was paid and is still being paid today.

LTBF · Jan 11, 2002

Brett, you are absolutely correct about the question of hindsight. It is easy to sit here in the 21st century, and say, "What if....?" However, they didn't have that luxury, and it makes a difference. This author is the first that I remember who makes a point of discussing how things were, without their having forsight.

The founding fathers, or brothers, could only base their decisions on what they knew then, not on what was going to happen way on down the line.

This little book was most enlightening, and I agree that the author, whose name I can never remember, did an excellent job of tying these disparate ideas together with one controlling theme.

ROLL TIDE FOREVER!

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