Introduction
Historians and academics disagreed on the issue of whether the American Founding Fathers advocated for democratic reform. Some see them as democracy defenders, whereas Howard Zinn and others take a more critical stance. Howard Zinn, a renowned radical historian, vigorously contests the idea that the Founders were democratic reformers.
Zinn’s Arguments Against Founding Fathers’ Democratic Endeavors
Zinn contends that the defense of the Founding Fathers’ property rights was their primary motivation, drawing on the scholarship of Charles Beard’s “An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution,” He thinks that the Philadelphia Convention of 1787, where the new Constitution was formed, was sparked by Shay’s Rebellion, an uprising of western Massachusetts farmers who had been subjected to high taxes (Were the Founding Fathers Democratic Reformers).
The foundation of Zinn’s thesis is that the Founding Fathers were a select group of wealthy northerners and southern slaveholders. They saw Shay’s Rebellion as a danger and made it an excuse to establish a powerful central government (Were the Founding Fathers Democratic Reformers). According to Zinn, this government was built to protect the wealthy’s property rights, frequently at the expense of disadvantaged people like slaves, Native Americans, and non-property-owning whites.
One of Zinn’s main arguments is the inherent conservatism of the representative system established by the Constitution. In particular, he thinks the elite’s economic interests were served by keeping the status quo and preventing fast social upheaval. Zinn cites Federalist Paper #10 by James Madison, which argues that minority groups could be subservient to the will of the majority in a large nation (Were the Founding Fathers Democratic Reformers). Zinn said this protection maintained the elite’s hold on power.
Nevertheless, Zinn contends that the Constitution, although advancing the interests of a wealthy few, also gave small-scale landowners, middle-class mechanics, and farmers substantial advantages (Were the Founding Fathers Democratic Reformers). This broad support base was a barrier against oppressed communities, enabling the elite to hold power with little compulsion and a show of unity and patriotism.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Howard Zinn’s viewpoint presents a more nuanced understanding of the Founding Fathers, who frequently hailed as democratic revolutionaries. He contends that their main driving force was the defense of their financial interests and that setting up a central government was a calculated attempt to maintain their supremacy. This viewpoint contradicts the conventional narrative and calls for a closer analysis of the intentions and deeds of the Founders.
References
Madaras, L., & SoRelle, J. M. (Eds.). (n.d.). Were the Founding Fathers democratic reformers? In Taking sides: Clashing views on controversial issues in American history, Volume I, The Colonial Period to Reconstruction (11th ed.). McGraw-Hill.