Government Topics

Founding Brothers

Joesph Ellis

Ellis' work on the revolutionary brotherhood brings to light many things that I think most have forgotten about the founding fathers, namely that they were just a partisan and devious as we are now.

Ellis dedicates the first section of the book to the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, an easily remembered moment in the early history of our nation. What is not remembered is that Aaron Burr could very easily have been the President of the United States. This is an important event for a multitude of reasons, but none more important than the end result. Hamilton, the de facto leader of the Federalist party, lay dying at the hands of the Vice President and second in command (at least theoretically) of the Republican Party, and we think it's bad now.

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