History on the Founding Fathers of America
History on the Founding Fathers of America
Philadelphia, PA. 1787, the Founding Fathers set before them foundation for a new nation. This nation was to be formed in the interest of its people: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” Important here is how the United States was formed to provide its people these “unalienable rights.” Formation of the United States did not arise solely on the genius of the Founding Fathers. They adopted ideas from political writers and philosophers around the globe, but none so more than those of British theorists. Theorists such as Thomas Hobbes and John Locke provided solid work to expand on. Others assisted the Founding Fathers on the significance of law. They set precedent by taking theories that were only written of, but never applied, and instituting them towards the formulation of the United States.
The state of nature was believed to be a state of constant war; the only path to escaping the state of nature is the creation of society. From society, government is borne. Hobbes and Locke were the first to formulate this theory; the Founding Fathers were in agreement as well. To create government man had to bestow certain individual(s) with the authority to govern, therefore creating a social contract, “a set of bilateral agreements between each pair of participants to transfer their rights of self-rule to, and authorize all the acts of, whatever individual or assembly is later elected sovereign by the majority of the group.” The social contract is key to American government in that it led to popular sovereignty, sovereignty to be held by the people and by those who govern. This very concept of popular sovereignty, sovereignty amongst the people, drew directly from the writings of Hobbes, Locke and furthermore in relation to Vindiciae Contra Tyrannos (V.C.T.). The Founding Fathers took further considerations to Locke and V.C.T., applying that government is established by, a fiduciary trust to Locke, and trusteeship in V.C.T. Both arrangements call forth those who govern are granted power...