The founding fathers of the United Sates were not just rich white men who owned large amounts of land and wanted everything their way. They wanted the same thing everyone else wanted, freedom. The freedom from the rule of Europe and the freedom to govern their country in a way that kept all citizens at an equal level. There were many problems that had to be fixed, such as slavery and voting rights, but they were open to amending them. One important factor that most forget to acknowledge about the United States at this time is that, this was a brand new independent country. There were not many laws in place yet. There was no one to provide for the United States. There was no more help, it was up to the founding fathers to run a smooth government that provided freedom with a sense of stability for a safe country. They had to start off with what they believed was best. The only form of government they had to look back on and build off of was that of their former homes in Europe. They learned from their past government and they also were influenced by it. Of course this led to problems and there were many differentiating opinions but that does not mean that the new government was not open to change.
One of the biggest problems in the United States after the declaration of Independence was the continuation of slavery. In the article A July Fourth Oration a speaker talks about what we have done to the Africans by bringing them over from their native lands into slavery in America. He asks, “Declaration of Independence! Where art thou now?” (American Mercury, 124). It is true that there controversy among Americans that the Africans were not equal to the Whites, and this was a huge problem because it was declared that “all men are created equal”. Thomas Jefferson responds to this problems by explaining that “I advance it therefore as a suspicion only, that the blacks… are inferior to the whites in both of body and mind” (Thomas Jefferson, 129). He explains that this is an opinion of some, but is not the truth. He believes that we can’t degrade an entire race based on opinions of some of them or because of the opinions of others. Although Thomas Jefferson owned slaves he was still open to the opinions of those who were against slavery and still had empathy for the slaves.
Many people were concerned about freedom of opinion whether it was speaking about it or voting. The statement in Address of Democratic-Republican Society of Pennsylvania, “Freedom of thought, and free communication of opinions by speech or through the medium of the press, are the safeguards of our Liberties” (138) explains how without the freedom to express opinions of their government they do not have equal opportunity in choosing how to be governed. This is important and really shaped the minds of the new government. Congress started to make changes to the Sedition Act and the freedom of speech and opinion. A member of the Continental Congress of South Carolina publishes his book explaining and ensuring the right to future amendment of the Constitution. His statement that “laws will be made and government administered for the good of the people, as can be expected from the imperfections of the human institutions” (Ramsay, 119), gives assurance that although there will be problems and controversy, the United States is going to be governed with all citizens opinions considered. The intentions of the government of the United States is to have Freedom for all people and to run a government that is best for all the people in it, not just for the people who lead it.
One opinion that was most influential and important was that of George Washington. He was a huge influence on the citizens of the United States, the congress, the legislatures, the other founding fathers, and anyone who was a part of this new independent United States. He believed that the all people of the United States had the right to