As the United States marks 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, Americans are reconsidering not only what the Founders created, but how they should be remembered. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, and their contemporaries articulated revolutionary ideals of liberty, equality, representative government, and individual rights. Yet the execution of those ideals initially excluded women and minorities from political power and designed institutions whose compromises continue to shape modern conflicts.
Should they continue to be revered as visionary architects of the American experiment, or has reverence for them prevented a more honest understanding of the country they established? Supporters argue that the Founders created an extraordinary system that allowed the nation to expand freedom over time and should be judged by the standards of their era. Critics contend that idolizing them sanitizes the past and discourages Americans from questioning institutions designed for the 18th century and whether we can have a “better” democracy.
During America’s semiquincentennial, we debate: Is It Time to Stop Idolizing the Founders?
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