Why did the American Founders resort to violence?

Question

Weren't their acts a terrible example to future oppressed people, everywhere?

Answer 1

It wasn't that violent compare to the French Revolution and many others.

The American Revolution is where a bunch of patriot stand up against their mother country and fight for their independents.

The French Revolution is where mobs chop people head's off and put them on pikes, then complete chaos occur which became known as the Reign of Terror, and after that, they learn nothing of what they have been fighting for and gave Napoleon absolute power.

Even though the American Revolution may have encourage the French Revolution, which one seems to be setting a more bad example?

And I'm pretty sure the American Revolution didn't encourage the violence for the Frenchies.

Answer 2

Ones freedom is equal to ones abililty to gain it and retain it. Freedom is not given, it is taken and defended.  Only a slave can be "given" freedom as a gift.

Had the founding fathers not acted then they wuould not have been the founding fathers, asibe that it was common people that stood upon the green at Lexington, people who had enough of foreign rule.

Peace it the periods between wars.

The jewish, pacifist portest against Hilter n**i Germany may have been honorable but was not effective at all.

The founding fathers resorted to violence because the British Prime minister and the KIng was ignoring the desires of the colonist. Had the king compromised with the colonist then perhaps the USA would not have been formed. But it is not in the nature of a King to compromise, after he is King by birth not because he smart, intellegent, popular etc.  

Answer 3

Their acts were and remain the greatest and best example of the process people must follow to obtain and maintain their personal liberty.

You need to do some reading bucko.  Your questions are one sided and significantly in favor of repression.  Fundamentally the notion is that when you have exhausted all other alternatives for ridding yourself of oppression, you are left with the right to fight for your freedom.

Answer 4

  NOT at all.  Violence is wrong if YOU Start it, not if you defend yourself.  There is nothing noble about allowing your self to be abused!

  Remember, the British opened fire first at Concord Bridge!

They refused to consider a commonwealth, insisting on direct control of the colonies from Britian.

Answer 5

Read the Declaration of Independence. It was designed to answer your question.  The very first sentence,"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation." says that the whole point of the Declaration is to explain why independence is being declared.

It details the things that the King has caused to be done to the colonists:

    For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

    For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

    For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

    For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

    For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

    For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences

    For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

    For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

    For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

Among other things, it lists the various peaceful attempts by the colonists to bring about a change in the situation and explains how those attempts have been frustrated by the King. It also explains how the colonists warned the King about what he was doing.

It finally concludes that there is no other course available but war. "We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends."

Most people point to the Declaration as a tremendous accomplishment, giving hope and guidance to all oppressed people everywhere.

Answer 6

The violence wasn't exactly one-sided. The British government was sending troops over to suppress protest by force. I don't know if the US would eventually have gotten independence without the war, but it certainly would have happened a lot later.

(and, a terrible example how? they organized to throw off their oppressors. sure, it would have been nicer with no bloodshed, but isn't it always better to end oppression?)

Answer 7

Yes, our Founding Fathers set a a terrible example to future oppressed people.  

They set the example that it is important to try to resolve your problems peacefully (if you knew anything about American history you'd know that the Revolutionary War was truly the last resort, and the Continental Congress went into it very divided).  

They also set the terrible example that if peaceful means fail, "it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."  

Having the courage and belief in your cause to fight for your freedom, even if it seems futile against the strongest nation in the world...truly a terrible example...

Answer 8

um, what? I don't think we could have just gone up to King George and been like "Hey, um, do you mind if you just let us go? We don't really like being under your power, so, like, if you could just sign here, that'd be great, thanks." Violence is a neccesary evil in this world. World Peace is a thing of fairy tales. Its in human nature to fight and kill. Sometimes its for good and sometimes its for bad, but its all apart of the human condition.