If you ever talk to anyone about any social or political issues, people will inevitably tell you what they think is wrong with society. After they tell you societies problems, they will inevitably explain to you what should be done to fix these problems. One cliche floating around in America today is the idea that we should return to the intention of the Founding Fathers.
The reasoning behind this argument is that the founders were perfect leaders who formed a flawless system of government that has since been destroyed. I thought it might be interesting to look at some of the Founders' intentions:
Slavery- Every one of the Founders owned slaves. The Constitution originally had a clause which made African Americans three-fifths of a person. Thomas Jefferson had a famous affair with one of his slaves.
Women's Rights- Women could not vote until the passage of the 19Th Amendment in 1920. to return to the Founders intentions we would have to take away that right.
Native Americans- The Founding Fathers were not to fond of the original inhabitants of this continent. Consider these statements:
George Washington-In 1779, George Washington instructed Major General John Sullivan to attack Iroquois people. Washington stated, "lay waste all the settlements around...that the country may not be merely overrun, but destroyed". In the course of the carnage and annihilation of Indian people, Washington also instructed his general not "listen to any overture of peace before the total ruin of their settlements is effected".
In 1783, Washington's anti-Indian sentiments were apparent in his comparisons of Indians with wolves: "Both being beast of prey, tho' they differ in shape", he said. George Washington's policies of extermination were realized in his troops behaviors following a defeat. Troops would skin the bodies of Iroquois "from the hips downward to make boot tops or leggings". Indians who survived the attacks later re-named the nation's first president as "Town Destroyer".
Thomas Jefferson- In 1807, Thomas Jefferson instructed his War Department that, should any Indians resist against America stealing Indian lands, the Indian resistance must be met with "the hatchet". Jefferson continued, "And...if ever we are constrained to lift the hatchet against any tribe, " he wrote, "we will never lay it down till that tribe is exterminated, or is driven beyond the Mississippi." Jefferson, the slave owner, continued, "in war, they will kill some of us; we shall destroy all of them".
Oh, the Founders themselves could not agree on certain issues:
The Constitutional Convention of 1787 featured lively, even heated debates among the Founders. Small states were opposed to suggestions made by large states; federalists were opposed to anti-federalists; commercial interests were opposed to competing interests. Issues that bitterly divided the Convention included the method of Congressional representation, slavery, and the proper role and authority of the president. All these issues were resolved by compromise and consensus -- the very democratic principles that many seek to nullify by appealing to the intentions of the Founders.
Considering the acrimonious debate and fluid compromises in the ratification process, it's easy to see the constitution could have easily turned out otherwise. The anti-federalists were actually in the majority, but were stymied by their own conflicts, overconfidence and lack of sure leadership. The most criticized feature of the constitution was the lack of a bill of rights guaranteeing individual freedoms - and the federalists gave the anti-federalists this single compromise in order to win their support.
People may want to consider these facts before suggesting the fallacy of "the intention of the Founding Fathers."
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