Founding Fathers

[mentored1]

Hey Folks...

I watched a disturbing scene from a documentary today and was able to confirm it, sort of... but here it goes...

It was a training class for sheriffs and police captains (or the equivalent) by and FBI anti-terrorism agent and the FBI guys goes into this speech that includes the following:

(quotes aren't verbatim but pretty darn close)

FBI guy: "And who were the first organized terrorist in America?"
*Several slides come up on a screen showing G. Washington, T. Jefferson, et al*
Group: "The Founding Fathers?"
FBI guy: "That's right! They organized, they plotted, and they carried out an extensive and organized campaign of terror against the British government in America - and against Americans loyal to the British!"

It goes on after this about some of the ins and outs about what happened... Now I've studied the Revolution from the major texts, letters and correspondence, and numerous volumes written in very specialized areas and there's no doubt the Founding Fathers were organized and had some pretty incredible systems of espionage setup... But were they - and could they - be rightly called terrorists?

What are your thoughts on the American Revolutionaries and their methods?

Take care

[CatholicSage]

I resent the American Revolution, in part because of the crimes committed against colonials loyal to the crown, but I don't think the Founding Fathers could fairly be considered terrorists. If they were the ones to actually organize the many crimes against loyalists, then that's news to me. Furthermore, terrorists tend not to use actual armies in battle against their opponents, which the revolutionaries certainly did. George Washington was not Osama bin Laden.

[mentored1]

I resent the American Revolution, in part because of the crimes committed against colonials loyal to the crown, but I don't think the Founding Fathers could fairly be considered terrorists. If they were the ones to actually organize the many crimes against loyalists, then that's news to me. Furthermore, terrorists tend not to use actual armies in battle against their opponents, which the revolutionaries certainly did. George Washington was not Osama bin Laden.

Hey CS... Thanks for the reply...

It does indeed seem many tactics employed in their efforts to undo British hardline policies were questionable at best and despicable on average... There is some evidence to show a few instances of crimes being encouraged or commenced against loyalists by Founding Fathers... Of course it depends on how broad the term 'founding fathers' can be spread... Sam Adams incited a number of fairly violent demonstrations - but the extent to which they were taken was more a mob mentality...

Anyways thanks again, take care!

[CatholicSage]

Hey CS... Thanks for the reply...

It does indeed seem many tactics employed in their efforts to undo British hardline policies were questionable at best and despicable on average... There is some evidence to show a few instances of crimes being encouraged or commenced against loyalists by Founding Fathers... Of course it depends on how broad the term 'founding fathers' can be spread... Sam Adams incited a number of fairly violent demonstrations - but the extent to which they were taken was more a mob mentality...

Anyways thanks again, take care!

Did any of the more political Founding Fathers like George Washington, Ben Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, etc. do any of those things? Basically, I want to exclude people like Sam Adams and Patrick Henry who were more instigators than leaders.

[mentored1]

Did any of the more political Founding Fathers like George Washington, Ben Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, etc. do any of those things? Basically, I want to exclude people like Sam Adams and Patrick Henry who were more instigators than leaders.

There's some dubious claims that they did... but the only verifiable historical records show these actions in the context of war - which is a different frame of events methinks... So I'd have to agree that the "leaders" as we know them to have been did not seem to engage in the tactics that the "instigators" did... But if the events the instigators incited precipitated the revolutionary war then is the revolution based on these instigations?

Take care

[Timothy Leary]

Basically, I want to exclude people like Sam Adams and Patrick Henry who were more instigators than leaders.

If only we had a few more "instigators" like Patrick Henry around today.

[mentored1]

If only we had a few more "instigators" like Patrick Henry around today.

That would make for some very interesting political escapades... :news: