Key Founding Figures – Part III
In this last part of series about America’s Key Founding Figures, we will highlight Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay—drafters of The Federalist Papers, published between 1787 and 1788 in several New York newspapers persuading voters to ratify the proposed U.S. Constitution. The Papers consisted of 85 essays with Hamilton credited with 52, Madison with 28, and Jay with five.
A lawyer and political scientist, Alexander Hamilton, while a student at King’s College, joined the anti-British movement in 1774. He made an impression with public speeches and the writing of two pamphlets containing his revolutionary essays. In 1776, Hamilton organized a volunteer artillery company which led to his assignment as captain of an artillery in the Continental Army. Hamilton’s abilities were noticed by George Washington, and he joined Washington’s staff in 1777 serving four years as Washington’s private secretary. As a New York state legislature, he was chosen as a delegate to the Federal Convention of 1787. Although Hamilton did not agree with much of the content of the proposed Constitution, he was one of three New York delegates to sign it and made substantial contribution to its ratification. Hamilton’s significant role in the writing of the The Federalist Papers played a huge part in convincing New Yorkers to vote in favor of the Constitution. In 1789, Hamiliton was apppointed Secretary of the Treasury and was the primary author of the economic policies of George Washington’s administration.
James Madison, an American statesman and political theorist, took great interest in the relationship between the American colonies and Britain. In 1774, Madison took a seat on the local Committee of Safety in Virginia, a patriot pro-revolution group that oversaw the local militia, and joined the Virginia militia in 1775. Madison served in Virginia’s state legislature writing the state constitution and making special contributions to the wording of religious freedoms. In 1780, he represented Virginia as a delegate to the Continental Congress. In 1787, Madison represented Virginia at the Constitution Convention. It was Madison’s idea to form a federal government consisting of executive, legislative, and judicial branches, and to have a system of checks and balances. He was also credited with the idea of “shared sovereignty” between state and federal government. His contributions to the Constitution and The Federalist Papers were major in Madison later being dubbed as “Father of the Constitution.” In 1809 Madison became the 4th American president.
Biographer Walter Stahr sites John Jay, a successful New York lawyer, as “a vital figure in the founding of our republic,” who devoted himself to the American Revolution. He represented New York at the First Continental Congress in September, 1774. He wanted to keep ties with Britain, but ensuring the rights of the colonists became more important. In October, 1774, Jay’s draft of The Address to the People of Great Britain was adopted by Congress. As New York’s chief justice in 1776, Jay helped write the state constitution. He returned to the Continental Congress in 1778, becoming its president, then took on his most prominent role—diplomat. As Minister to Spain, Jay convinced Spain to loan the U.S. $170,000. He then joined Benjamin Franklin in Paris, France, negotiating an end to the Revolutionary War with the Treaty of Paris (1783). Besides his contribution to The Federalist Papers, Jay authored a pamphlet, “An Address to the People of New York,” which helped ratify the Constitution. He would become the 1st Chief Justice of the supreme Court in 1789.
Seven key figures among the Founding Fathers made significant contributions that would affect the lives of the millions who came after them.
Read MoreKey Founding Figures – Part I
The Founding Fathers of America are some of the most influential people and interesting studies in history, and it’s important to recognize who they are and their accomplishments. Identifying key founders can be difficult as some historians include the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, Framers of the Constitution, Signers of the Articles of Confederation, and every politician, statesman, soldier, jurist, diplomat, or ordinary citizen, who took part in winning American Independence and creating our nation. Historian Richard B. Morris narrowed it down by identifying seven men as key Founding Fathers: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. For the purpose of informing our readers, the contributions of these men will be highlighted in a three part series.
John Adams was a lawyer, statesmen, and a diplomat who gained much influence in early America. He defended the soldiers in the Boston Massacre, stating, “It is more important that innocence be protected than it is that guilt be punished . . .” He countered essays written by Daniel Leonard, a Massachusetts lawyer, who argued for the absolute authority of Parliament in the colonies, by virtue of his own Letters of Novanglus, a long series of newspaper essays. Novanglus was Adams’ pseudonym for“New Englander.” Adams position was that the colonies were only connected to Great Britain through the King. Later, he was sent as a delegate to both Continental Congresses, intent on separation from England. Adams nominated George Washington to be the commander of the colonial forces. In 1777, Adams became the head of the Board of War and Ordnance where he worked eighteen-hour days as a “one man war department.” Adams would later become the 2nd president of the newly formed America. In the damp, unfinished rooms of the White House, Adams wrote his wife, “Before I end my letter, I pray Heaven to bestow the best of Blessings on this House and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise Men ever rule under this roof.”
Thomas Jefferson was a delegate to the Second Continental Congress where he sought out John Adams. The two became fast friends, which led to Jefferson becoming the author of the Declaration of Independence. Adams ensured that Thomas Jefferson was appointed to the five-man committee that was to write a declaration in favor of a resolution of independence. After Adam’s had convinced them, the committee decided that Jefferson should be the one to write the first draft with Adam’s consultation. He spoke five languages, studied philosophy, science, invention and architecture, just to name a few of his interests. He designed his own mansion near Charlottesville, Virginia, naming it Monticello. Though he was an eloquent writer, he was a poor public speaker and suffered from a speech impediment. Jefferson was elected the 3rd president of the U.S., narrowly beating John Adams who was running for reelection. Jefferson and Adams would become staunch political rivals, but eventually renewed their friendship following the end of Jefferson’s presidency.
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were the last surviving members of the original American revolutionaries who had stood up to the British empire. On July 4, 1826, at the age of 90, Adams lay on his deathbed while the country celebrated Independence Day. His last words were “Thomas Jefferson still survives.” Little did he know that his friend, Jefferson had died five hours earlier in his home, Monticello, at the age of 82.
Next up, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington.
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Redacted: Censorship of an Entire Nation’s Story
Good citizenship and U.S. History absolutely go hand-in-hand. It is difficult to understand what being an American citizen means without first understanding how America was forged into what it is now. Training children to be dedicated, responsible citizens is vital to our sustainability. Therefore, it is important to protect their history education.
That education is at risk with a new framework for U.S. History being introduced by the College Board—a framework that is both detailed and incomplete. In its 98 pages of guidelines, the new framework neglects to mention important founding fathers like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. Instead, it outlines lessons on subjects like race, ethnicity, gender, and class.
If allowed a full view of the framework’s content, the public might be able to make an informed decision as to whether they should support or oppose the change. However, the majority of its contents are being carefully guarded from public eyes. College Board went so far as to threaten certified AP teachers, who received a full sample exam, with legal recourse if they were to disclose information about the exam.
Some omissions that have been confirmed include the assassination of President Lincoln, D-Day, the Holocaust, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and any mention of military commanders or heroes. Without mention of important people and events like these, how are students supposed to appreciate the legacies of their ancestors, or the lushness of their own lives?
Texas School Board member Ken Mercer is taking a stand against the new framework, attempting to battle it at the state level. However, his efforts are currently being stonewalled by protocol. The resistance will be allowed to pickup steam in September. If Texas, or another state, were to reject the framework, its survival would be uncertain.
It is imperative that families oppose the new College Board AP U.S. History framework, and demand that true American history be taught to their children. Without public outcry, leftist measures like these will continue to be implemented in our schools.
Read MoreAmerica’s Shame?
In the movie America: Imagine the World Without Her, writer and producer Dinesh D’Souza addresses many of the accusations raised by members of leftist groups who attack the heritage of America. Such groups accuse America of being an imperialistic nation built on slavery, theft, and conquest. Going back to Columbus, leftists ask, Didn’t Columbus enslave over 500 Native Americans and take them back to Portugal with him? The answer is Yes, but that had nothing to do with the United States of America. The discovery of this New World may have given the Pilgrims a place to land, but it does not mean the acts of the discoverer are the fault of those who came after.
Well, they may reply, Americans stole land from the Native Americans. That is true—acquisition of the Black Hills by way of the February Act of 1877 was in direct opposition to the Fort Laramie Treaty signed in 1851. Tribal lawyer Richard Case presented this argument starting in the 1920s. Then in 1956, attorneys Marvin Sonosky and Arthur Lazarus took over the case ending with victory in the 1980s. The United States supreme Court planned to award the Sioux Nation 105 million dollars as compensation. However, the Sioux Nation rejected the award because they feared in so doing they would officially be selling their land. This manifests that the United States government attempted to right an unjustified decision made many years before.
Leftists also tend to point out that America gained quite a bit of land as a result of the Mexican American War. However, they fail to mention that the United States believed it had been attacked on its own soil. The government claimed that U.S. territory lead all the way to the Rio Grande, citing the Treaties of Velasco. They sent a secret representative, John Slidell, to Mexico City to insure the Rio Grande was the border of U.Ss territory and to purchase California. Mexico was in no shape to negotiate, as the presidency and other ministries had each changed hands four times in 1846. The Mexicans considered Slidell’s presence an insult. Slidell thought Mexico should be chastised and returned to the confirmed U.S. territories. President James Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor to move his forces south to the Rio Grande. This resulted in the Thornton Affair where Mexican soldiers attacked a patrol and killed 16 American soldiers. The war began May 13, 1846, with America rising as the victor two years later. Even though they decimated the Mexican forces, the- U.S. returned a little over half of Mexico’s land, paying a little less than half of the original offer.
The bottom line is that many times facts are hyperbolized for the purpose of twisting us against our own country. With a little clarification, one can see that America is not always the villain it is often painted to be by those intending to remove our liberties.
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The Radical Road to Independence
Did you know that it was radical thinkers in the 18th century that led to the American colonies’ independence from Great Britain?
Following the French and Indian War in 1763, Great Britain began taxing the thirteen original colonies as early as 1764 with the Stamp Act in order to recover some of the cost of that war, claiming it had to fight that war to protect its American subjects from the powerful French in Canada. Most of the colonists disagreed, believing that England fought the war to strengthen its empire and increase the country’s wealth. Colonists felt that since they were not represented in Parliament they should not be taxed. The colonists’ motto became “No taxation without representation.”
Due to civil disobedience to the Stamp Act, Great Britain repealed it in 1766. This was a victory for the colonists yet even at this time, most were not even imagining separating from their mother country. Yet, Great Britain didn’t stop there. Over the next several years, Parliament continued to impose imperial taxation and limits on self-government. Crime and violence within the colonies ensued. With the Townshend Duties of 1767, which taxed imports, customs racketeering led to the British occupation of Boston in 1768. Later came the Boston Massacre of 1770 and the Boston Tea Party of 1773.
So who were the radicals during this time? Many were members of the underground group, Sons of Liberty, who were printers/publishers and distributed articles about the meetings, demonstrations, and their fundamental political beliefs. Leaders were mostly middle class artisans, traders, lawyers and local politicians. Some men were not official members of the group yet opposed the British actions. Samuel Adams’ published articles in the Boston Gazette under a pen name. After all, such implications could lead to being tried and executed for treason.
After Britain enacted the Coercive Acts in 1774— as a punishment given to the colonists in Massachusetts because of the Tea Party—closing the Boston port, banning town meetings, and increased authority of the royal governor. Soon thereafter, 56 delegates of the 13 colonies met in Philadelphia as the First Continental Congress and made radical decisions that would lead to the American Revolution and America’s independence.
All those who held to their convictions and formed a basis for our country’s independence were radical thinkers. The Revolution changed social relationships, bringing respectability to ordinary people. It eliminated monarchy and created public power. It altered the culture of America and made the interest of ordinary people the goal of the government. It paved the road for other important changes such as the abolishment of slavery and the position of women, and opened the door to a transformed economy.
Gordon S. Wood, history professor and 1993 Pulitzer Prize winning author for The Radicalism of the American Revolution summed it up well when he said, “In short, the Revolution was the most radical and most far-reaching event in American history.”
Independence Day Celebrations in History
Independence Day is known nationally as a day spent with family and friends celebrating America’s independence with cookouts and fireworks. Let’s take a look at what Independence Day celebrations looked like in times past.
On July 4, 1777, thirteen gunshots in salute of the day were made twice in Bristol, Rhode Island. Philadelphia celebrated the first anniversary in similar fashion as today, having an official dinner for the Continental Congress, 13-gun salutes, parades, and fireworks. In 1778, George Washington celebrated the 4th of July by giving his men double rum rations and giving an artillery salute. At the same time, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams held a dinner for their fellow Americans in France.
Moravians in Salem, North Carolina, held a celebration of July 4 with a music program assembled by Johann Friedrich Peter where a piece of music known as “The Psalm of Joy” was played in 1783. Two years later, the Fourth of July Parade in Bristol, Rhode Island was started and is still held annually. It is the oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States. Since 1868, Seward, Nebraska has held celebrations in town square—a town of 6,000, it swells to over 40,000 during the celebrations. In 1979, Seward was given the title of “America’s Official Fourth of July City-Small Town USA” in a resolution of Congress.
Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, began in 1972 and still happens on July 4 each year. The famous Macy’s fireworks display usually held over the East River has been occurring every year since 1976 and is televised nationally. Since 1970, the annual 10 kilometer Peachtree Road Race is held in Atlanta, Georgia. “A Capitol Fourth” is a free concert held on the Capitol lawn in Washington, D.C and precedes a fireworks display, attracting over half a million people annually. For other interesting facts, visit 4th of July by the Numbers at https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/july-4th/interactives/4th-of-july-by-the-numbers.
Celebrating Independence Day on the 4th of July can be felt from coast to coast in America. Not only do we celebrate our freedoms while watching the beautiful explosion of colors as fireworks light up the night sky, we remember those who sacrificed so much to ensure liberty and justice for all is this “One Nation Under God.”
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