The Triple Test
by James "Ros" Poplar
In 1973, historian Richard B. Morris wrote the seminal work “Seven Who Shaped Our Destiny: The Founding Fathers as Revolutionaries." The book details a series of biographical sketches of the most seven influential leaders of the American Revolution along with a detailed chronology of the events that led to their commitment to the American cause. Mr. Morris refers to the men possessing the "triple tests" of leadership, longevity and statesmanship.
All of these men played indispensable roles in the formation of the of the United States of America. John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were members of the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence. The Federalist Papers, which advocated the ratification of the Constitution, were written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay. And last but not least, George Washington was the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, president of the Constitutional Convention, and our first president.
In addition to their individual successes, these men shared a common bond of courage, along with their fellow representatives from the 13 Colonies, signing the Declaration of Independence. Knowing and recognizing their independence from the Crown would be an act of treason punishable by imprisonment and death should the Revolutionary War been lost. Anything worth fighting for takes the fortitude and commitment to follow through to the end. These men risked it all for the nascent idea of a free society and civil society where citizens were free to create a new sense of community and assume the responsibility to labor together and to solve their problems regardless of their diverse backgrounds.
In creating our constitutional republic, the Founding Fathers were not perfect nor pretended to be. They were neither gods nor angels, but rather complex, prejudiced, yet visionary men who dared to create this great experiment that we know today as the United States at the risk of losing their lives and all possessions. They also knew that they were in a race against time because the window of opportunity to launch such an endeavor rarely comes into history and quickly closes.
They were ordinary men who did extraordinary acts while serving the people and not the government they represented. None thinking they were better than the common man, yet they set out to do the will of the people providing the foundation for each of us as individuals to build upon. In this partisan and highly politicized environment let’s hope we can find those who possess the qualities of leadership, longevity and statesmanship to move our broken country forward within the Founders’ ethos of the “triple test.”
About the author: James R Poplar III is a retired Navy Commodore and President of the Fort Harrison Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Virginia SAR or its affiliates.