The Founding FathersBy Tory, Disney, and Colby

George Washingto

nThe Lansdowne

Portrait

http://www.georgewashington.si.edu/portrait/non-flash.html

By Tory

Lansdowne PortraitThe Lansdowne portrait of George Washington was done in 1796 by Gilbert Stuart. George Washington was president for two terms and was the first president of the United States. This portrait stands eight feet tall and 5 feet wide, so it is accurate to actual size. Washington was in his last year of presidency, in this portrait and there are many symbolic meanings within all of the small details. Each detail in this portrait, like the eagles on the table, the expression on his face, and the clothing that he wore has its own significant meaning. George Washington’s facial expression is said to show what his personality was truly like. It looks kind, yet powerful and serious. His mouth looks bulged out because of his dentures he had to wear. It is said that he lost almost all of his teeth, except for one, before he became president and had to wear these dentures, which were to big for his mouth. Washington wears a black suit in the portrait, which is nothing to extravagant. Washington wore American made clothes to show his dedication to the country, and never dressed as if he was better than the people he had control over. Washington’s stance is supposed to be him saying goodbye, since he was about to retire as the president. In the smaller details there are two eagles that can be seen on the table leg. It is commonly known that eagles represent America, so it is significant that they are shown on the table, as well as a part of the American flag shown on the top of the chair. There are many other intricate details that have various meanings as well.

George Washington

The Farewell Address

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington's_Farewell_Address

The Farewell AddressGeorge Washington was the first president of the United States and served two terms as president. He first wrote his farewell address with the help of James Madison in 1792 when he first expected to retire. He decided against resigning as president and put away the letter for a bit until the end of his second term, when he brought back the letter. He redid the first draft and finished it with the help of Alexander Hamilton. Instead of saying it orally he had it published in newspapers as his resignation. Washington stressed the important factors of keeping the country running well, he said not to have permanent alliances with other countries, not to have an over powerful military, to stay with only one party, and to stress the importance of morality and religion, as well as many other things. Washington believed that the states needed to be united over the entire country having alliances with other counties, which could easily be betrayed. The United States needed to work as one first. He said everyone needed to think of themselves as Americans instead of individuals, they needed to look over their differences like religion and status. He also goes on to say that if Americans continue to follow the Constitution and amend it with time as the government figures out how to run itself even better than before. One of the greatest discussed parts of his farewell address was religion, morality, and education. He stresses that religion and morality promotes public happiness and will cause less crime because of many religious principles. Also, he wanted education for all people so peoples opinions will be more knowledgeable and help the government even more. There were many other parts to his Farewell Address but these were some of the main factors of it. George Washingtons Farewell Address is still said to be one of America’s most important documents.

Benjamin Franklin

http://www.wallbuilders.com/libissuesarticles.asp?id=58

Benjamin Franklin Drawing Lightening

from the Sky

By Colby

This picture shows Benjamin Franklin proving lightning is electricity. He was a very astounded inventor creating things like the wood stove, swimming and flippers, and by far his greatest invention, the light bulb. He single handedly helped move America into the future by creating the light bulb. It moved people to have electricity in their homes and rid fire as their light source. He never patented a single invention because he believed in others being able to design and improve off of his inventions. He sole purpose for inventing was to enhance and make humans more efficient then they already were. With the discovery of electricity, Franklin was the first person to classify the different types of electricity as positive and negative energy. In 1750 he conducted his most famous experiment of flying a kite during a lighting storm to prove that lightning is electricity. This lead to Franklin adding lightning rods to the top of buildings to safely extract electric currents from clouds into the ground ceasing the unpredictable occurrence of a potentially dangerous lightning strike. Along with being an illustrious inventor and scientist, Franklin was a pronounced, republican, politician. Being a scientist allowed Franklin to bring reason and justification to the constitution and to politics. It was this ability to reason with others that he was chosen to travel to France as an American ambassador. He remained in France with his grandson for nine years aiding the United States to receive a strong alliance with France. Franklin was such a presence in France not only for America, but for the French as well. He was a very religious tolerant man and this lead to Louis XVI signing a treaty allowing non-Catholics to have civil status and the rights to practice their religion freely.

Benjamin Franklin Drawing Lightening from the Sky

Benjamin Franklin was a leader and treated everyone equally. This applied to men outside his political party, and especially to those within it. Thomas Paine was a very well renowned republican figure. He was the creator of “Common Sense” and was also a key figure in declaring independence from Great Britain. Even though Thomas Paine was of such high class and standard, it didn’t hesitate Franklin a bit to voice his opinion. Franklin believed Paine to be to blunt and not accepting of religion and equality of all so he expressed himself over this letter. Throughout the letter Franklin shows how highly he thinks of Paine, giving him numerous compliments like “your excellent talents of reasoning.” Franklin meant not to disrespect Paine, but instead to lend advice on how to appeal to the people better. “I intend this letter itself as a proof of my friendship, and therefore add no professions to it”. Franklin ends the letter with telling Paine to burn it and tell no one of its existence. He doesn’t want others to be involved in something so insignificant as this, but also he isn’t looking for recognition from the people of how he stood up to this great figure. He lets Paine know he is doing this out of the kindness of his heart and from the generosity provided through their friendship. Benjamin Franklin being a previous member of the poor class, and now one of the upper class, can relate to both sides of America. He understands somewhat of the thinking process of Thomas Paine, but was moved by language that could insult those of a lower class. Although Paine was a great man, his lack of understanding towards religion proved to be a noticeable flaw. Franklin could see things through a different lens, and this allowed for him to critique others but still be respected and looked well upon.  

A Letter to Thomas Paine from Benjamin

Franklin

John Adams

Thoughts on Government

By Disney

This primary source is John Adams’ pamphlet called “Thoughts on Government, Applicable to the Present State of American Colonies,” written in April, 1776. Adams wrote this in response to Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, where he supported a different view on government.

From various countries’ governing system, Adams expressed his ideas on how the United States’ government should be. Adams supported separation of government’s powers between legislative, executive, and judicial branches. One of the main reasons Adams preferred separation of power is the ability to check and balance the power between different bodies of government. Adams, understanding the human nature when overwhelming power is within their hand, feared that the legislative power alone is “liable to all the vices, follies, and frailties of an individual.” In other words, he feared that too much power will be in the Congress that no one can control or stop them. Holland, at that time, served as a good example that supported his predictions of power abuse of the single body government.

Unlike Thomas Paine’s idea of single legislative body, Adams agreed with bicameralism, a system in which the legislative branch consisted of the Senate and the House of Representatives. This system is known to be a compromise of Virginia and New Jersey’s Plan since Virginia, the large state, wants to have more votes or political powers due to their higher population. On the other hand, New Jersey, representing smaller states, tends to support bicameralism because they want equal votes disregarding the number of population.

Although written in 1776, Adams’ ideas on government are still being used nowadays. The Congress consisted of both Senate and the House of Representatives. The powers are also separated into three branches. Over 200 years, government structure has been revised and reconstructed many times. However, John Adams’ ideas seem to be the best answer to the United States of America.

Thoughts on Government

John AdamsLetter from John Adams to George Churchman and

Jacob Lindley

This primary source is a letter, written on January 24, 1801, from John Adams to George Churchman and Jacob Lindley. Churchman, part of Quakers in the abolitionist movement, and Lindley were both members of the church. They supported abolition of slavery, and in this letter during his last month of presidency, Adams wrote them concerning about slavery.

As America gained independence from the Great Britain in 1776, not all people had independence. Slavery was still a major conduct back then. Slaves had no freedom and rights. Thus, the Declaration of Independence did not apply to every person equally in the United States during that time.John Adams was, all his lifetime, against slavery. He and his wife Abigail Adams, the First Lady of the United States, believed that slavery should be abolished. According to the letter, John Adams was one of the few people who never bought a slave in his life. The Adams family instead employed free blacks. Abigail had even helped educate a young black man to learn how to write. Abigail also concerned about the slavery that she wrote John a letter on March 31, 1776. In 1777, John Adams spoke out against the bill to abolish slavery in Massachusetts.

Although extremely opposed slavery, Adams suggested that the process of abolition of slavery must not be dramatic. He wrote that the change must be “gradual, and accomplished with much caution and circumspection.” Otherwise, he would not support the abolition since he predicted that there would be violence that might lead to killing. This might ended up in worse scenario than what people were suffering more than when slavery existed.

Not only did Adams show his opposition to the true independence of human’s rights, slavery, he revealed it through his actions of not owning any slaves. He served as a good leader for people to follow. He was no wonder known as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.

Letter from John Adams to George Churchman and Jacob Lindley