Disillusionment Of America's Founders By Dennis C. Rasmussen

Fear of a Setting Sun: The Disillusionment of America’s Founders by Dennis C. Rasmussen, showcases the fears and concerns of the Founding Fathers of the United States about the future of the American Republic. This book explores the worries that many of the founding fathers were concerned with, such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, and James Madison. During this time, they were worried that the American self-government would fail. The reason for their worries was because of issues with political factionalism, the potential for corruption, and the perceived decline in public virtue. Despite their efforts to create a stable government, many of the founding fathers ended their lives with anxiety about the …show more content…
The Democratic Republicans preferred a limited central government, wanted a strong state led government, and wanted an economic system based on farming and property ownership. The differences between the two political parties led to strong rivalries and the Founding Fathers thought this could undermined the stability of the government. The election of 1800 was a prime example of the differences between Jefferson and Adams, both political leaders in their respective parties. After fighting for independence from the British the founding fathers were deeply influenced by their experiences with British rule, they wanted the common people to have a voice instead of the corrupt and tyrannical British Government. During this time they had seen how British officials were bribed and used their influence for personal gain. The Founding Fathers at this time believed that corruption was a primary threat to the health and stability of any Republic. Inspired by enlightenment thinkers like Montesquieu and Machiavelli, they believed that corruption would rot away at their government. They created many checks and balances to stop the collection of power from one party or