Consequential Contribution of Founding Fathers to America Essay

Consequential Contribution of Founding Fathers to America - Essay Example They laid the foundations of a capitalist America, based on the belief that the eventual economic well being of any nation was a direct function of the opportunities it extended to its citizens to channelize their energies and talents in a free market. Enlightened individualism, which is the hallmark of the American way of life, has its origins in the thought and vision of our founding fathers. It was by the dint of the validity and sanctity of their values that America was able to win a war of independence against a nation that was far superior to it in terms of military might and economic affluence. They envisioned a nation with a system of governance that relied on the fundamental principles of natural rights, free from any form of monarchial or ecclesiastical interference. Founding father undeniably made a marked contribution to the American way of life that will continue to guide and motivate this great nation in the times to come. George Washington was a leader far ahead of his times. It is easy for people today to visualize America as a free and sovereign nation. However, in the times of Washington, America was just a bunch of rebellious colonies, which were loosely held together, courtesy their shared aversion to the British rule.1 The astuteness of Washington was manifested in his will to hold on to a vision of a united America, irrespective of the ground realities of those times, which totally discouraged the perception of America as a great nation. The vibrant and self-sufficient America that we see today was once a mere vision in the heart and mind of Washington and other founding fathers.2 It was only by the dint and confidence of Washington and his revolutionary propensities that a nation was born irrespective of the mighty resistance posed by the great military and political powers of those times. George Washington was a prominent personality that defined the American nation, not only because he was the first president of America, but also because he happened to be the supreme commander of the American forces fighting for independence and the chairman of the convention that drafted the constitution of the United States of America. The wisdom of Washington lied not only in his ability to hold together the 13 rebellious colonies with diverse interests and priorities, but also in his shrewdness in channelizing the rebelliousness governing the American resistance into a well knit, consolidated and unanimous verdict in favor of the foundation of an independent America.3The task before Washington was utterly complex in the sense that he was not only required to be a military commander, but also a seasoned and sharp political leader who could extend guidance and direction to a zealous but nascent movement, which could have easily degenerated into an insignificant and directionless m utiny, as was desired by the imperial forces.