Nor were they gods. Indeed, to see them as gods or godlike is to do disservice to their memories. Gods, after all, don’t deserve a lot of credit because they can do whatever they wish. Those we call the Founders were living men. None was perfect. Each had his human flaws and failings, his weaknesses. They made mistakes, let others down, let themselves down. Washington could be foolhardy and ill-tempered. Adams could be vain, irritable; Jefferson evasive, at times duplicitous. And even in their day, many saw stunning hypocrisy in the cause of liberty being championed by slave masters.
