Of intellectual leadership and good luck (July 2)
By Chuck Doud
The Madera Tribune
The more I learn about the founding of the United States, the more amazed I become at how fortunate we are, and about how much we take for granted.
Most scholars agree the colonists had little chance for success in the beginning of their quest for independence. A fair number of the colonists, in fact, weren’t interested in independence, just more say in how they were governed by the British. These people saw themselves as citizens of the British Empire. That they could be led into a rebellion did not seem very likely. But the Revolution had one great strength — exceptional leadership.
Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, Patrick Henry and others in the colonies proved to be more effective leaders than did King George III and the British Parliament.
The colonial leaders built on patriotic fervor which had begun in the 1860s. George III mistakenly saw it as a personal insult rather than political discord, and reacted accordingly. If, prior to 1875, when the Second Continental Congress met, the king had respected the colonies’ repeated requests for representation in Parliament, we probably would be British today. Instead, George III sent an army and navy to enforce unconditional British rule.
That Declaration, which we will celebrate Sunday, wasn’t written overnight. It was the culmination of a long series of errors and slights by the British, who believed that God and armed might had given them the right and responsibility to govern by fiat all the lands over which they had domain.
The colonial leaders, however, were well-educated, courageous, well-informed, and philosophically and ethically centered. They knew the authority claimed by the king and Parliament eventually would not prevail. Their intellectual leadership carried the day over George III’s bullying. How lucky we are.
Angela Reed wrote to the Red Line on July 2:
Mr Doud: My 4th and 6th graders have a contest going to find the most errors in the Tribune each day. Today’s best was in your Editor’s Corner (July 2), where they question your history. It seems you were a century off in your reflection of colonial rebellion. Overall, we enjoy your paper, but we especially love the practice you give the kids in proofreading! Thanks!
I’m giving away 100 years to correct your column. May I suggest using Mo as your historian. He has the century correct in his column. “Take it away, Leon.”
On the subject of making hybrid cars (less) quiet: About 65 years ago (seems like only yesterday) I attached playing cards to the forks of my bicycle so that as the wheels turned the spokes striking the cards produced an engine-like sound. Maybe I should patent this idea.
Bob Christiansen,
Madera
(Publishing editor’s note: Many readers have called this to the editor’s attention, which proves how smart Trib readers really are. As for the editor … nah.)