I don't know when I initially decided that I needed to know more about the Founding Fathers and the revolution that led to the creation of this country, but I have just tentatively finished my unofficial 2003/2004 Founding Fathers Reading Spree. I kicked the spree off with Gore Vidal's Burr, moved on to Walter Isaacson's Benjamin Franklin: An American Life, and finished up with Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton.

I might be biased, but I believe that both Franklin and Hamilton were the most influential founding fathers in shaping our modern society. In Franklin, I see the first Horatio Alger to emerge from American society. The fact that a run away tradesman could rise to the heights of inventor, statesman, ambassador, and celebrated American hero helped to shape an ethos in the country that hard work and determination are the basis of success. His diplomatic work was instrumental in getting France to join us in war, and believe it or not, we never could have done it without France. Washington and his beleaguered troops could not have done it alone.

Hamilton also rose from illegitimate and orphaned immigrant to military hero to the creator of the economic institutions that power our modern economy. Hamilton, however, lacked the humor and the sense of Franklin which turned him into perhaps the first public character to be seen as an aloof and elite intellectual. His demise came in the face of the Republicans Jefferson and Madison who perhaps were the first Americans to express a fear of "big government." Against their fears, Hamilton's development of a federal bank, national debt, and the Coast Guard helped to make us a prosperous nation. They even paved the way for Jefferson to greatly change the face of this country with the Lousiana Purchase. Too bad he was brought down in his prime by Aaron Burr who lacked principles but craved power ... a dangerous combination that seems to rear its ugly head all too often in politics.

I find these books particularly interesting in light of the events of last night. Kerry is seen by Americans as another aloof and elite intellectual, and he wasn't able to find the public approval that he needed to win the presidency. Americans seem fairly evenly split these days between two visions of America, much like we were in the time of Franklin and Hamilton. I have no doubt that we will eventually bridge this schism, but I fear where we will have to go before it happens. May the government dreamt up by our founding fathers help to heal this split. E pluribus unum.