In the incredibly insightful novel, Founding Brothers, Joseph J. Ellis recounts the sometimes collaborative, sometimes archly antagonistic interactions between the leading men of the founding generation. By closely examining the private characters behind their public personas, the author provides th...

Consenting Fathers: Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson Though Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were contemporaries, their views, backgrounds and modes of influence were very different. Benjamin Franklin was born of a large and poor family and rose to become a model of the emerging bo...

In 1776 there was a great decision made by the people who ran the government and this classic musical, "1776", portrayed the great decision, the writing of the constitution. The movie's plot is about the proceedings of the second continental congress as it debated on declaring independence from B...

The movie titled 1776 is an excellent musical version of what happened at the Continental Congress in the months leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The original thirteen colonies signed this declaration and agreed to separate from England thus the United S...

Born in Talbot County, MD., November 8, 1732, John Dickinson had a big effect on the way American History happened. He was born into a relatively wealthy family, his father being first judge to the Court of Pleas in Delaware. He got his education at the Temple in London, studying law. That was...

1776 In the book 1776, there were many important characters. Three of my favorite characters were Samuel Chase, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams. The reason I chose these specific men as significant was because they all lead important roles in the making of the declaration of independence. Samuel ...

In the late Eighteenth Century there existed a great debate between the most prominent philosophic and political thinkers of the age. The topic of the debate would ultimately change the face of the United States of America into the country that we live in today. The landscape of the nation was ver...

Thomas Jefferson, America\'s third president, has had a large influence on our countries freedom from Great Britain. He was a man who joined to fight the cause and rebel because of his belief to do the right thing. Thomas Jefferson\'s unique intelligence-led our country to success by composing the D...

The American Women Abigail Adams was a women of a unique personality . She was an intellectual because she wanted to have an education and demonstrated the desire to learn. As a mother, she passionately cared for her children during periods of disease and poor health that surround the...

Joseph J. Ellis feels that the most important aspect of Thomas Jefferson was his mind and how he could put his ideas together to form a powerful document, whether the ideas be original or not. I, on the other hand, feel that Jefferson was not as smart as everyone thinks he may have been, but he wa...

Early Years Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 and grew up on the family plantation at Shadwell in Albermarle County, Virginia. His father, Peter Jefferson owned thirty slaves and a tobacco and wheat farm. Thomas was the third of ten children. He learned to speak French, Greek and Latin....

Rafi Jacobs A.P. American History Report About two months ago I still thought that the Declaration of Independence was something written a few hundred years ago, and was very famous, but had no real historical value. I just thought it was a nice thing, and after...

Founding Brothers By: Joseph J. Ellis Vintage Books During the 1790s, which Ellis calls the most decisive decade in our nation's history, the greatest statesmen of their generation came together to define the new republic and direct its course for the coming centuries. Ellis focuses on six ...

The third president of the United States, a diplomat, statesman, architect, scientist, and philosopher, Thomas Jefferson is one of the most eminent figures in American history. No leader in the period of the American Enlightenment was as articulate, wise, or conscious of the implications and consequ...

Founding Brothers - Joseph Ellis Chapter 1 - The Duel This chapter talks about the famous duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton, and the controversy surrounding the different accounts of the mornings events. It is believed that Hamilton fired first, but that he intentionally aimed to ...

In many ways, women were not allowed to play an important role in society during the 1770's. For the most part, it was illegal for women to receive any form of higher education. Thus, their involvement in the affairs of government was very limited, including of course, that they were not allo...

Thomas Jefferson symbolizes the promise and the contradictions of America's historical heritage. As the third president of the United States, a diplomat, plantation owner, architect, scientist, and philosopher, he is one of the most important figures in American history. The writings of Thomas Jef...

We have always been told that we need to act correctlyin class and in whatever we do, but as humans we liketo communicate and impress others with our wit or lackthere of. So it is hard to know the line between respectable communication and lack of control. If we talk to much and are lucky enough to ...

Andrew Doody wrote in his discussion that " I really don't know much about him (Thomas Paine) from history class". Neither do I. It is very important that people are educated about Thomas Paine as he played an important role in the gaining of independence from Britian and the drafting of the Decla...

Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States, was one of the most brilliant menin history. His interests were boundless, and his accomplishments were great and varied. He wasa philosopher, educator, naturalist, politician, scientist, architect, inventor, pioneer in scientificfarm...

Thomas Jefferson, the American icon, is best remembered as the author of our Declaration of Independence and as a great president. Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743, at Shadwell plantation in western Virginia. He later went on to excel in school and graduated at William and Mary College in Virgi...

Building a Strong FoundationThe American Revolution was an inevitable time in history where the settlers of England's North American colonies needed to take control and break free of England's oppression. According to Thomas Paine, an island cannot rule a continent. Previously, colonies in Africa,...

The Birth of a Nation: 1607-1815It has been said that the Declaration of Independence was more democratic and for equality and the Constitution was more for a republic that benefited only some people. The Declaration was idealistic the Constitution realistic. That 1776 gave us liberty and 1787 gav...

John Adams once said that, "facts are stubborn things." The same can be said for the idea of identity. According to Dictionary.com, identity is defined as "the distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity; individuality." The idea of identity is present in works of literatur...

A Book Review of Samuel Adams: Radical PuritanHistorians such as Drew McCoy and Joseph Ellis have produced noteworthy studies of the Founders and their impact on the time period of the American Revolution. Fowler's supplement to this blossoming literature is in many ways a traditional biography. I...