The War of Independence is one of the crucial pages of the American history, serving as the point, from which the United States originated as an autonomous political entity. This transition was caused by a series of injustices from the Crown’s side, which pushed the colonists toward a point of no-return. Traditionally, the Founding Fathers are perceived as heroic figures whose strive for independence had a solid foundation, based on the persistent oppression and disregard of their rights by Great Britain. However, as is the case with most pages of history, the event deserves to be explored from different perspectives. This essay aims to illustrate that the actions of the Founding Fathers were part of a complex, multi-faceted situation, in which a justified pursuit of independence prevailed.
Liberty became one of the key concepts, upon which the revolutionary initiative was created. The Founding Fathers were largely inspired by the spirit of freedom that prevailed in the European states at the time. Roy (2018) writes that the rise of the revolutionary movement in America coincided with the Age of Enlightenment across the Atlantic Ocean. More specifically, the Founding Fathers actively engaged in philosophical discussions with the great minds of the era. As phrased by Thomas Paine, people who settled in America escaped Europe, as a whole, not just Great Britain (Roy, 2018). They wanted to find a liberal place where their minds and aspirations will not be constrained by monarchs’ rule. In this regard, the people’s pursuit of liberty aligned with the philosophy of the Founding Fathers who fought against the very oppression they wanted to evade.
Among the many freedoms sought by the Founding Fathers, the freedom of trade was one that had a direct impact on people’s lives. All economic activities executed in the colonies were through the efforts and lives of their residents. From a logical perspective, these workers should be one to experience the primary benefits of their labor. Nevertheless, the persistent trend of the time pointed toward the enrichment of the British elite and the ruler. The intensification of the taxation load on the colonists confirmed this trend, when the Crown’s share in the profits increased drastically. This situation became a case of severe injustice that depreciated the efforts of the people who could not experience the benefits of their own work. The Boston Tea Party is the ultimate example that illustrates the culmination of the people’s exhaustion resulting from the exploitation of their labor by the monarchy (Russo, 2018). In other words, they wanted freedom and were prepared to fight for it, which is exactly what the Founding Fathers did.
On the other hand, the coverage of these events in historiographical research does not appear complete. Eastland-Underwood (2021) that the archives of the Founding Era tend to emphasize convenient aspects while neglecting others. For example, the lasting repercussions of the Revolutionary War are disregarded in the context of the acquired liberty. This struggle resulted in years of warfare that undermined the quality of colonists lives even further, not to mention those who perished in its course. Furthermore, America was on the verge of losing the War several times, in which scenario the consequences would be unprecedentedly dire for the colonies. From this perspective, it can be argued that the Founding Fathers risked the lives of many to prove a point inspired by philosophy. Spoken differently, abstract thinking was preferred over the actual lives and potential casualties.
Ultimately, the fight for independence prevailed, overthrowing the British rule over the colonies. In the long term, America benefited from the progressive philosophy that motivated the Founding Fathers at the time. At long last, these people could see higher benefits of their own work, the results of which were channeled at the well-being of the United States and not the metropolis overseas. While this outcome was achieved at the expense of immediate losses and countless lives, the lasting impact of the struggle supports justification of the Founding Fathers’ efforts.
References
Eastland-Underwood, J. (2021). What was the original intent? The Tea Party movement, the Founding Fathers, and the American welfare state.Journal of Political Ideologies [pre-print]. Web.
Roy, T. (2018). European influence on the Founding Fathers. Perspective in History, 34, 49-54.
Russo, K. J. (2018). Viewpoints on the Boston Tea Party. Cherry Lake.