LAD #7 Washington's Farewell Address

George Washington begins this famous speech by declaring that he will not be running for President in the coming election. He assures his listeners that this decision does not come from personal disinterest in the country's pursuits. Rather, he feels that the country will benefit from a new leader with a fresh perspective. His decision sets a precedent for the presidents that follow him- each will also serve two terms.  Washington thanks the American people for giving him the opportunity to lead the country and says that he worked hard while he was in office to establish and administer a new government.

His speech is also largely a call for unification. He projects a spirit of American nationalism, derived from the patriotism of the Revolution, as he urges the colonies to act as a unified body. He emphasizes that the states depend on each other, despite their obvious differences. The North may be a hub for commercial trade and industry, but the South provides necessary raw materials and capital as well. The West pushes American ideals into the frontier, but depends on the East to sustain itself. For these reasons, Washington argues that the differences should unite Americans into one interdependent system rather than divide them by geographical variations. Washington also states that unity of the states will protect them from foreign infuences and prevent unnecessary domestic conflicts.

In calling for unity, Washington aslo praises the Constituion as the document that will guide the American people into a new age. He urges Americans to remain loyal to it and to build their political ideologies from it. According to Washington, the Constitution will be a vital tool in combatting factions.

The Address also contains Washington's final warnings to the States. These include warnings against: the accumulation of debt, foreign influence in North America, political parties, and alliances. Temporary alliances could be formed in extreme circumstances, but extending them was risky and unnecessary. Washington recommends that the United States retain friendly relations with all nations while looking out for its own interests.

Washington concludes the speech by admiring how far the nation has come, content with the state of a free government that is capable of carrying on without him.

LAD #6 Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality

A decade after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, which offically recognized the end of the Revolutionary War, George Washington dictated the United States' foreign policy with his Proclamation of Neutrality. In it, he states that it is in the United States' best interest to avoid hostilities with the European powers. This is to be done by avoiding involvement in international conflicts. Any violaters of this policy are to be prosecuted.

Republican Motherhood Blog

 

1.       What role did the Revolutionary War play in the transformation of housewifery to Republican Motherhood?

       Before the Revolutionary War, the education of women was considered unnecessary and was even discouraged. Colonists believed that women's domestic role was dictated by God. However, with the Revolutionary War, women began to take on a slightly more prominent role in society by furthering revolutionary aims. Women srongly advocated for the boycott of British goods and made many products at home. Women held up the homefront against Native Americans and British troops while their husbands were at war. Betsy Ross sewed the new American flag and several women's patriotic societies spang up across the colonies. Because of the war, women were given opportunities to break traditional gender roles. This caused a change in the way that society viewed them when the war was over.

2.      What were the consequences of Republican Motherhood on women?

The Rupublican Motherhood elevated the importance of women's domestic roles in colonial society. The mother was now respsonsible for the upbringing of a new nation. She was needed to raise the country's future citizens and instill in them a sense of nationalism and civic interest. Her education was considered important, in limited fields, so that she could better educate her children and effectively manage her household.

3.      What is the significance of the ideology of Republican Motherhood as a stage in the process of women’s socialization?

  Though the ideology of Republican Motherhood did little on the legislative end of women's socialization, it did change public opinion. Women's role in family life and society was viewed with greater importance. This was a necessary first step towards eliminating traditional gender roles.

 

 

 

1.       Describe the setting.

A mother and her two children are seen sitting on a sofa inside of a modest, neat home. Light illuminates the face of Mrs. Tilgham.

 

2.      Who serves at the center of the portrait and why?  How does the woman look?  How is she “republican” rather than aristocratic?

Mrs. Tilgham is placed at the center. The ideology of Republican Motherhood established a mother's vital, central role in family life and child upbringing.  For this reason, Mrs. Tilgham is seated between her two children in the middle of the canvas. Her hair and attire are simple and modest instead of ornate. She does not appear to be trying to impress her peers by her clothing choice as an aristocratic woman might. The room she is seated in and other material things she might own are unimportant. Instead, the focus is on her and her children. She appears to be happy but not idle.

3.      What values do her sons exhibit?

Her sons appear to be well behaved and mellow characters. They sit peacefully with their mother and do not make trouble.

4.      Is there a significance to the position of Mrs. Tilgham’s arm?

    Mrs. Tilgham's arm is placed protectively over her child. This reflects a republican mother's new relationship with her children. Maternal affections certainly existed, but the mother was also directly responsible for guiding her children through their intellectual development. The deliberate arm placement symoblizes this guidance and the crucial, active role mother's were expected to take on.

LAD #5: The Federalist #10

1) Why are factions so difficult to eliminate?

Small dissenting groups will inevitably form from a larger group. This is because people naturally act and think in their own self interest and what is beneficial to one is not necessarily beneficial to another. This is especially true when one considers different social classes. A laborer will think differently than the man who employs him.

These groups cannot be vanquished by a government established to protect the rights of its constituents. The United States was built on the ideals of tolerance and diversity. Because of this, it will not infringe on the right of its citizens to hold different opinions.

2) If factions cannot be removed then how can they be controlled?

Their aims are blocked by the Constitution. Laws are passed by a majority vote, so a minority faction will have little leverage in the government. Operating as a republic allows representatives to act for the greater good of the people who elected them. The hope is that they will be able to see what is best for the people even if the the people are misguided by factions. Following this idea, the federal government must act as the representative of the states. A strong federal government will be able to check the power of states (the factions in this case) that wish to act against the general public interest.

LAD #4 Revolution Article

I learned several things from the article "Rethinking the Revolution."

1) Some of America's most cherished historical figures, like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, actively sought to heighten their public image. In doing so, many of their less commendable actions were forgotten or ignored.

2) American civilians died in great numbers during the Revolutionary War from diseases spread by troops on both sides, coastal raids, partisan warfare, and Indian attacks.

3) Civil War military men are remembered by the American people (Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, Stonewall Jackson) while civilian leaders (John Adams, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson) are remembered from the Revolutionary War. This was something that I had never considered before.

4) Muskets used by the continental army had a limited range. Because of this, armies were forced to fight each other from close distances. Casualities were high and fighting often ended with hand-to-hand combat or brutal bayonet charges.

5) Soldiers being desperate for clothing during the Revolutionary War, the victorious party of a battle would often steal the clothes off of the backs of those that had been defeated. This was not practiced during the Civil War.

LAD #3 Declaration of Independence

Summarize the Declaration of Independence in three parts:

1- Democratic Principles
     The writers of the Declaration of Independence make their stance on democracy explicitly clear in the introduction of this document. They advocate for social equality, so that all men can pursue "life, liberty, and... happiness." The writers also emphasize that a government exists to protect the rights of its constituents. When a government acts againsts the interests of its constituents, the people have the right to build a new government that better represents them.

2 - List a handful of grievances
      A multitude of grievances are listed off by the colonists. Some of the most notable include: restriction of trade, implementation of unwelcome taxes, quartering of British troops in colonists' homes, and the revocation of charters.

3 - The Conclusion
       At the end of the document, the colonists remind Great Britain and the international community that they are not acting rashly and that they have tried to reason with Britain in the past. However, seeing as this strategy proved ineffective, the colonists declare their independence from Great Britain and empower themselves to act as any other free nation could.

LAD #2 Zenger Trial

(John Peter Zenger)

1) Who was John Peter Zenger?
   John Peter Zenger was an American settler from Germany. After serving as an apprentice to William Bradford at the New York Gazette,  he established his own newspaper, The New York Weekly Journal, to highlight the selfish acts of Governor William Cosby. Zenger was eventually imprisoned by Cosby for seditious libel but was aquitted by a jury.

2) What was the controversy over his charges? Talk about Hamilton's defense.
   The Prosecution argued that Zenger could be convicted because of the libel of Cosby found in the paper. Zenger's defense attorney, Andrew Hamilton, did not try to deny that Zenger had defamated Cosby. However, he did argue that the truth of The New York Weekly Journal's words were a defense for libel. This idea was unheard of at the time and the case soon became of public interest.

3) What influence did this case have on American governmental tradition?
   The Peter Zenger trial asserted that truth was a defense for libel. The idea was now a protected right. The case also displayed the power of a jury to make decisions that went against the desires of government officials.

4) What is the lasting significance of this trial? Explain.
This case established freedom of the press. Settlers could now publish political commentaries and other controversial material without fear, as long as it was true. Freedom of the press became a truely American ideal.

LAD #1 Mayflower Compact & Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

(Drafting the Mayflower Compact, 1620)

1) What concepts are included in the Mayflower Compact?
 The document declares the colonists's arrival in Capecod and establishes a representative colonial government with the power to draft legislation for the betterment of the colony. Stressed in the Mayflower Compact is that the colonial government and its constituents are suberservient to King James. The Mayflower Compact also asserts the colonists's religious conviction. They state that they act to glorify God and spread the Christian religion as they build a colony for the royal crown.

2) How does the Mayflower Compact reflect an attachment to both the "Old" and "New" worlds?
 The colonists's attachment to the "Old" world can be seen as they promise to remain subservient to their king in England. However, their attachment to the "New" world is reflected in their enthusiasm to create a civil government. It is also obvious that the settlers, eager to escape religious prosecution and unemployment, believe their lives will be better in the "New" world and that they are excited to act in the name of God.



3) How did the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut differ from the Mayflower Compact?
  Both documents highlight the importance of God in colonial life and government and state that the colonists act for Him. However, only the Mayflower Compact emphasizes that the colonists also act under the English crown. The jurisdiction of the English king seems to have been deliberately ommitted from the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut. In both documents, the settlers establish their own governments. The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut lays out an explicit plan for government, including voting procedures (private, paper ballots) and the role of General Assemblies. The Mayflower Compact is extremely vague and open to interpretation.

4) What prompted the colonists of Connecticut to take this approach to government, i.e.: use of a written Constitution?
   The colony, which included the colonial cities of Windsor, Wethersfield, and Hartford, was growing to be quite large and needed a system to effectively manage its affairs. The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut was also necessary to officially unite the three cities into a Commonwealth. Use of a written Constitution futher allowed the colonists to state their individual rights and lay out policies to be used in the years to come. And, seeing as the people of this Commonwealth aimed to build a society centered around their religion, use of a Constitution clearly defined the role that religion was to play in the government of their society.

5) In what significant way(s) does the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut reflect a fear of and safeguard against the usurping of power by one person or a chosen few?
   The fact that seizure of government power is so carefully safeguarded against reflects the colonial fear of one man or group usurping power. The settlers clearly lay out a plan for their representative government in this document. Though there is only one Governor, his power is checked by six other elected persons. Those holding power must be elected, by paper ballot, by "qualified" colonists and the the Governor may not be elected more than once in two years. The colonists hoped that these, and similar measures, would prevent one man from becoming too powerful like the king they had left behind.

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