...William and Mary (B.A.). Specializing in the history of the American Revolution, Presidents and the roots of American foreign policy. His works include American Sphinx, His Excellency: George Washington and Revolutionary Summer: The Birth of American Independence. As well as essays and book reviews that appear in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, The New Republic, and The New Yorker. Founding Brothers is a Pulitzer Prize winning book that discusses the prominent men in the political atmosphere of America after the Constitutional Convention and the issues that they faced. The book starts off with the infamous duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton on July 11, 1804. The outcome of this duel is that Burr shoots Hamilton and...
Words: 1251 - Pages: 6
...University of Phoenix Material Influences on the Constitution Table Write one or two paragraphs in each section. Include citations for your sources. |Documents |Summary |What was its influence on the Constitution? | |Magna Carta |The Magna Carta was signed between the Barons of Medieval England and King John. The |The Magna Carta established the right of due process and provided a basis of higher law that could not | | |Great Charter was signed at Runnymeade near the Windsor Castle and was an attempt by |be altered by executive mandate or legislative acts ("Magna Carta: Cornerstone Of The U.s. | | |the Barons to prohibit the King from abusing his power over the people ("Magna |Constitution", n.d.). | | |Carta", 2000-2012).. | | | |The Magna Carta consists of 63 clauses, many of the clauses address the English legal |Magna Carta: Cornerstone of the U.S. Constitution. (n.d.). Retrieved from | | |system. It states that every man shall...
Words: 1851 - Pages: 8
...As any talk of slavery was like a curse that would spread like wildfire, which lead to it not being talked a lot about in public. It was a problem that the Founders faced in trying to deal with it. Especially, as Adam, Jefferson, and Franklin had to draw the first national emblem for the Continental Congress in 1776, “it contained immigrants from different cultures and no Blacks or Native Indians” (Ellis 101). They simply could not put anything that showed the slaves or it would cause problems with the Southern States, like succession from the union. Facing the challenge, they knew that the South was too economically independent on slavery and so was the national economy. Their only hope was for it to end in the future without...
Words: 1798 - Pages: 8
...George Washington was not just the president during his lifetime. He was General and commander-in-chief during the colonial armies during the American Revolution. Washington had impacted many lives before becoming president and changing the way things were ran in the White House. His family background was very rich, but lost it all during the Puritan revolution and when his grandfather migrated to Virginia in 1657. He was a very special president to American history. Washington did not get elected after a president he started the whole presidency. He served from 1789 to 1797. He was chosen unanimously at the Constitution Convention. John Adams was the vice president for Washington, of course he was the first one. Washington was intelligent, so he wanted to be surrounded by some of the most capable people. Therefore, he appointed Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of Treasury and Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State. The both men helped him do stuff during his two terms like a...
Words: 921 - Pages: 4
...Smaller states objected to Proposal 2 of the Virginia Plan. It called for both houses of Congress to be based on population. The small states believed the large states would have too many representatives in both houses of Congress. The smaller states developed another proposal called the New Jersey Plan. New Jersey Plan Proposals 1. Unicameral (one house) legislature - all states equal. 2. Federal government - slightly increased power 3. Plural executive - elected by Congress 4. only one federal court The first attempt at self-government under the Articles of Confederation was ineffective. The Anti-Federalists wanted strong state governments as opposed to a strong national government. The leader of the Anti-Federalists was Thomas Jefferson from Virginia. Smaller states objected to Proposal 2 of the Virginia Plan. It called for both houses of Congress to be based on population. The small states believed the large states would have too many representatives in both houses of Congress. The...
Words: 1265 - Pages: 6
...Imagine trying to light a fire underwater. Despite your greatest efforts, there is something present that was always holding you back. That’s how the US government was after the 1796 presidential elections. The previous president, George Washington, was tired of the heavy criticisms and stress he received while in office, he yearned to return to his home, Mount Vernon. He decided he would not consider a third term. Although he felt it was disreputable to support any candidate, he did support his vice president, John Adams. The general consensus among leading Federalists was that Massachusetts’ John Adams would follow George Washington. However, Alexander Hamilton had arguments with Adams so he tried to influence the results of the election by persuading many Southern electors to vote for South Carolina’s Thomas Pinckney, whom was believed to be the best vice presidential candidate, to spite Adams. It wasn’t that Hamilton liked Pinckney, but rather because he hated Pinckney less. However, word leaked out, and in retaliation, Adams supporters in New England persuaded electors to drop Thomas Pinckney's name from their ballots....
Words: 577 - Pages: 3
...was the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution? Because the Constitution did not guarantee the protection of the rights of individuals, James Madison proposed a number of amendments to be included in this legal document, ten of which were ratified by a majority of the states fairly quickly. These ten amendments, commonly known as the Bill of Rights, ensured civil liberties such as freedom of religion, the right to bear arms, freedom of speech, the right to be tried by a jury, freedom of the press, the right to property, freedom of assembly, and humane treatment when being punished. c) How did Alexander Hamilton attempt to improve the nation’s financial status?...
Words: 1266 - Pages: 6
...had come under English control. Governing bodies therefore consisted either of proprietors (individuals granted ownership of a colony and full authority to establish a government and distribute land) hired by wealthy investors, or councils, controlled by the monarchy (king or queen) and the aristocracy (elite social class) in England. 2. What was the First ( Great Awakening? Why was it significant ? How did it differ for people of different social and legal standing ? First Great Awakening was a religious movement among American colonial Protestants in the 1730s and 1740s. colonies. The Great Awakening may also be interpreted as the last major expression of the religious ideals on which the New England colonies were founded. It was significant because it showed a series of emotional religious revivals that was spread. It was new and different for people because that was not what they knew. Which in part was hard for them to adapt to quickly. 3. To whom was Alexander Hamilton a “the right hand man” Who sings “ The Farmer Refuted?” He was the right hand man to George Washington. The Farmers Refuted...
Words: 862 - Pages: 4
...the country in two with ideology. On one side were the federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton and John Adams, and on the other were the democratic, or Jeffersonian, republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Federalists generally believed in a powerful, centralized national government, while the democratic republicans believe in states’ rights, and a weak federal government to prevent despotism. Alexander Hamilton mainly argued that federalism worked practically in the world because of the nature of people. He claimed that government should have the power to enforce the laws it passes when they are resisted, and only a strong federal...
Words: 1628 - Pages: 7
...president, they would need to come up with a plan of action. This action would sometimes create tension and cause conflicts between the president and the people. George Washington and John Adams both served as presidents of the United States who played key roles in developing plans of action. Washington served a two year term as president from 1789 to 1797, while Adams followed after Washington and served only one term from 1797 to 1801. President Washington played a part after the Whiskey Rebellion broke out during his presidency. During Adams presidency, he contributed to producing the...
Words: 1603 - Pages: 7
...Madison was a man from Virginia who carefully contemplated political freedom. Hamilton came to North America in his twenties and had fought during the War of Independence. They were nation-builders who thought Americans were throwing away their independence and that the government needed more power to protect the future of America. This idea was agreed upon by many groups including those who believed their property rights were being violated, those who wanted access to British markets, those who wanted tax protection from foreign goods, and those who were owed payments by Congress. Propelled by Shays’s Rebellion, delegates from six states met in September 1786 at Annapolis, Maryland, to discuss regulation of commerce. This meeting led to another meeting in Philadelphia to amend the Articles of Confederation. However, James Madison wrote about the need for a new constitution instead of amendments. The Philadelphia Convention convened in May 1787 where delegates from all states, except Rhode Island, met and agreed to void the Articles of...
Words: 1036 - Pages: 5
...The Articles of Confederation vs. the Constitution DeVry University The Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution are the historical documents that have been the building blocks of democracy that America is known for today. The Articles of Confederation are in many way an extension of what makes up the United States Constitution. In 1777, there wear a combination of thirteen states that came together to mold a type of government document that the United States could determine as “central” style of government. These states included New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. By late 1787, the Articles of Confederation were replaced by a more complete United States Constitution. There are several differences and similarities that lead to this American government transformation. The origination of the Articles of Confederation were a dynamic that was set into place in order to safeguard the union of states from any foreign control. It was a time in which the newly born states were yearning to be a set of sovereign states but stay independent from British colony control. Thus, the Articles of Confederation were originated. There were several important aspects of the Articles of Confederation that helped the United States reach a somewhat government goal. In the articles, states were allowed to collect taxes from its citizens...
Words: 1524 - Pages: 7
...well known individuals who played major roles in enabling and shaping that growth. To narrow down such a broad search to only a select three proves to be more difficult than one may think. However, even given the difficulty of this task I have in the end chosen three men, that without, this country may very well have shaped up much differently than the country that we have come to know to this day. The three men of my choice are John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. The reason for my decision on these three individuals is because they all played crucial roles in the formation of our great country and without their key insight and the driving force that they brought it could have turned out much differently. Each holds a very important place during this time in history which will be more fully understood and unveiled in the coming pages. To better understand these roles, and these men as a whole I believe it best to look at each individually to see what brought them to be such important figures in history and how it was that their fates intertwined. John Adams was born on October 30, 1735 in the Massachusetts Bay Colony of Braintree which is now known as Quincy (Bio, 2013). John was a direct descendent of Puritan colonists whose father was John Adams Sr. His father wore many hats which included being a farmer, a Congregationalist deacon, and a town councilman. Coming from these roots John Jr.’s studies started out of very humble means by...
Words: 2432 - Pages: 10
...As a result, the British Parliament passed the 1764 Currency Act which prohibited the colonies from issuing paper currency. This caused even more difficulties for the colonists who were already having trouble paying their taxes. The governors of Massachusetts and New York dispatched messages of protest to Parliament. Shortly after the Currency Act was passed, Prime Minister Grenville proposed a Stamp Tax which would obligate colonists to buy a government stamp for use on legal documents. After the Stamp Act passed, and the news arrived at the colonies, the Virginia House of Burgesses passed resolutions denying the British Parliament’s authority to tax the colonies. Americans rioted and destroyed the house of the stamp distributor. Other colonies engaged in similar activities. Stamp Act was a common cause that united the 13 colonies in protest against Great Britain. Representatives from nine colonies met in the fall of 1765 to sign petitions denying Parliament’s authority to tax the colonies. Merchants demanded the appeal of the act on economic grounds after the Americans organized a boycott of British goods. The British...
Words: 1584 - Pages: 7
...the following did NOT lead to American settlement in the seventeenth ce ntury? A) Q uesti oning the divine right of kings B) T he sp lit from the Church of England C) Belief in self - government D) Belief in intelligent design E) Hobbes and Loc ke’s social contract theories 3) A social contract theory of government was proposed by A) Plato and Aristotle. B) Aquinas and Luther. C) Newton and the separatists. D) Locke and Hobbes. E) Plato and Luther. 4) Locke's Second Treatise on Civil Government set s out a theory of A) the divine rights of kings. B) aristocracy. C) democracy. D) republicanism. E) natural rights. 5) Indirect democracy is based on A) consensus. B) unanimity. C) the system of government used in ancient Greece. D) representation. E) "mob rule." 6) Republics are A) representative democracies. B) direct democracies. C) a hallmark of unitary governments. D) frequently found in totalitarian regimes. E) another name for states. 7) In an oligarchy, rule is by A) the many. B) the few. C) one person. D) all people. E) people who own property. 8) A doctrine that society should be governed by certain ethical principles that are part of nature and can be understood by reason is called A) ethical law. B) contract law. C) natural law. D) Newton's law. E) constitutional law. 9) Who was the major author of the Declaration of Independence? A) George Washington B) James Madison C) Thomas Jefferson D) Benjamin...
Words: 705 - Pages: 3
