Peering into the past, it sometimes easy to forget that the Founding Fathers of the nation where just men, with flaws and prone to mistakes. While they are remembered as legends, Donald J. Fraser presents an honest look at the architects of the United States, culling research from books published on the topic, as well as including personal letters from the Framers, to offer a reminder that even these men did not always agree. However, they did know how to compromise.
THE EMERGENCE OF ONE AMERICAN NATION provides broad strokes regarding the founding of the colonies, the climate which led to the Revolutionary War and the victory over the British. The time between the end of the war to the ratification of the Constitution and writing of the Bill of Rights is Fraser’s main focus, highlighting the struggles and near collapse the colonies endured to become one nation.
Breaking into a play-by-play of the convention to create a constitution, which many of the colonies were misled into attending to amend the Articles of Confederation, is where Fraser’s narrative becomes a little dry as the account focuses more on the actual minutiae than anecdotes and personal correspondence of the architects. Still, Fraser gives as much behind-the-scenes perspective as was known.
This is an in-depth look into the men who created the government of the United States, while including the big picture of the formation of the country. By providing historical backgrounds of all the main players, Fraser allows readers a glimpse into the insights and personal agendas of each man. The personal letters allows readers to paint a picture of each man’s motivation, sacrifices and sometimes, avarice. THE EMERGENCE OF ONE AMERICAN NATION is a fascinating look at the very roots of the government, as well as the reasoning that went into the inclusion of each amendment.
~IndieReader