Revolution

The demise of the American Revolution wasn’t truly until John Adams took office as the second president of the United States of America. While in one way or another that work was undertaken by all the colonists, the articulation and structuring of resentment against the British Empire, and the construction of a new nation afterwards, it was largely completed by a relatively small number of men; speaking of our founding brothers- Hamilton, Burr, Jefferson, Franklin, Washington, Adams and Madison. Although these events reflect wide participation by many colonials, their direction and ultimate resolution result mainly from the fact that this group of individuals balanced personal ambition, ideology, regional materialism, and personality quirks in such a way as to achieve consensus as to how a government should be formed.

The founding brothers of America possessed the abilities to influence, motivate and enable colonials through a revolution, a war, and into a working constitution of laws. It required numerous characteristics in which the men worked together to provide. The group of founding brothers contained many different personalities and views in which worked together to fulfill a common goal for independence from Britain.

A prime example of contradiction within the founding brothers group is Adams and Jefferson. The two were an incongruous pair, a Yankee and a cavalier, an orator and a writer as said by Ellis. The two men fought shoulder-to-shoulder together against the Tories and served with each other in Europe. They returned together to serve again in developing a new national government. Adams became obsessed with Jefferson’s growing reputation as one of the major figures of the age. Adams criticized Jefferson’s character in an assessment of his presidential policies:

Mr. Jefferson has reason to reflect upon himself. How he will get rid of his remorse in retirement, I know not. He must know that he leaves the government infinitely worse than he found it, and that from his own error or ignorance. I wish his telescopes and mathematical instruments, however, may secure his facility. But if I have not measured his ambition. . . the sword will cut away the scabbard. . . . I have no resentment against him, although he has honored and salaried almost every villain he could find who had been an enemy to me. [Founding Brothers, pg. 212]

The two men had distinct opposite views:

“Each wishing to give a different direction to the government; the one to strengthen the most popular branch, the other the more permanent branches, and to extend their performance. [Founding Brothers, pg. 231]

Jefferson and Adams were two reverse men with completely different outlooks. Adams idea of a debate was that it was a ruthless argument while Jefferson felt that debate was a violation of natural harmonies. These two men were able to work together because they both shared a common goal for the creation of an independent American government.

Another man imperative to the founding brothers group was courageous George Washington. In addition to being the first president George Washington was a commander of the military and fought for colonial independence against Britain. He fought and led men through combat such as The Battle of Trenton and Yorktown which warned Britain that the colonials were ready to put up a fight and wouldn’t easily back down. George Washington was also a member of the Continental Congress and worked with other men such as Jefferson, Adams, and Madison to create the American Constitution and Declaration.

Allies within the founding brothers group were best noted as Jefferson and Madison who worked closely together. Jefferson the strategist who provided intelligence to the founding brothers and Madison the tactician collaborated on drafting the American Constitution. Because of Madison, Jefferson perused a political career. Washington too had a friendly bond with Madison. Before it was released to the press, Washington sent Madison his farewell Address announcing his retirement. Madison took part in editing his Address eliminating what could be perceived as arrogance to protect Washington’s reputation.

In conclusion, the ultimate aspect required to guide the founding brothers into leading the colonies through a revolution, a war and into a working constitution was their determination and common goal for American independence. Each mans individual qualities combined to create a superior group of leaders. They were able to work off each others strengths and weaknesses, keeping their goal, the future and betterment of America, in mind.

Declaration of Independence

The emergences of new nations can all be marked by the same common occurrences: military rebellion, civil rivalry, heroism acts, treachery and contention between the new ideas and the old. The founding of the United States of America included all of these happenings. The immensity of the naissance of America was unique not only because it’s impact on world history and the expansion of a democratic state, But because the ideals our country runs on can be traced back to come together in one place and in one document, the Declaration of Independence. The ideas articulated in the Declaration of Independence are the foundation of a particularly American perplexity which defines both our triumphs and our failures even today.

In 1776 the Second Continental Congress of Philadelphia quarreled on the idea of American independence and questioned whether or not the American colonies should declare their separation and freedom from the United Kingdom of Great Britain. After an intense debate, on July 2, 1776 the delegates voted in favor of Richard Henry Lee’s resolution for independence. On July 4^th, the Congress formally approved the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson on behalf of the five-person committee appointed by Congress.

The Declaration of Independence was immediately printed and distributed through the newly proclaimed United States. It was instantly recognized by citizens that the document expressed broadly held ideas about the appropriate purposes of government and the rights of individuals. Jefferson acknowledged his work as "intended to be an expression of the American mind".

The Declaration can be divided into four main parts. The first is an introduction that states the purpose, which was to explain why the American people were declaring their independence from the British government.

The second part is a theory of a beneficial government and generally accepted rights of Americans. These rights are not granted by government; rather they are inherited by human nature. Therefore, the purpose of a useful government is to carry out and secure these rights. Furthermore, a good government is based on the consent of those being governed (the people), who are the main source of the governments authority. The people are given the right to overthrow the government is they persistently violate this theory.

The third part is a list of grievances against King George III who represented the British government. These included examples of actions that violated the criteria for a good government stated in part two of the Declaration of Independence. This section justified the separation from the Kings monarchy and the establishment of a good government to replace it.

The last part of the document is a claim of domination by the United States. It proclaims the determination of Americans to defend and maintain their independence and rights.

The Declaration of Independence offers insight as to what the definition of an American is. As a true American you are inherited by human nature the rights present in the Declaration. You are provided a government to carry out and protect those rights. In addition you have the ability to elect that government. These ideas and allowances are particularly American and rarely granted in other countries.

In light of the Declaration, America has suffered many triumphs and failures. A major part of American society following the Declaration is the fact that all citizens are given freedom. Still, to this day, freedom is not offered to all people of the world. Ideas of the Declaration set off a whole new way of living that is strictly American. It sparked the development of many other ideas and grants that are only given in our country. The Declaration of Independence set the foundation of the struggles for equal justice among citizens, including minorities and women. This argument eventually led to equality among all American citizens. Abolishing the idea of slavery and discrimination against women was a massive accomplishment for Americans.

Many other countries resent Americans for the ideals we live under presented in the Declaration. Because these rights are an everyday part of our life we often take them for granted forgetting that there are other parts of our world not living with the same civil liberties. At the same time other countries are envious of American society and strive to live under the same privileges. The Declaration of Independence has global significance because it set a standard for liberty and justice under law to which all people in the world may aspire. Because of America’s example, there is now a global prospect for democracy and individual rights granted to all. On June 24, 1826, Jefferson wrote, "May it be to the world what I believe it will be, to some parts sooner, to others later, but finally to all, the signal . . . to assume the blessings and security of self-government . . . All eyes are opened or opening to the rights of man".

In conclusion, the American triumphs because of the Declaration of Independence prevail over our failures in light of it. While the ideals of the Declaration are particularly American, America has become a model for other countries which aspire to live with the same constitutional rights as ourselves. Eventually an ideal world would live under the standards granted in the American Declaration.

Propaganda Project

For the propaganda project Erin and I will be working together. Our plan is to further research Hillary Clinton and to campaign her by using the picture movie maker. In this we will insert pictures depicting our argument and an explanation of why one should side anti-Hillary with us.

The American Revolution was a turning point in America’s history in which the original Thirteen Colonies became The United States of America and gained independence from the British Empire. This period was a time of warfare and disagreement when the Colonies rebelled against the British in attempt to gain their own freedom. During this time, other inhabitants of present day America included the Native Americans. This indigenous group played a key role in the early stages of the American Revolution.

It was initially decided by the Native Americans to stay out of what they refered to as the “white mans war”. Eventually, they joined sides with the British, lured by promises and presents. Although the white settlers instilled fear and hatred among the Native Americans and their loyalty to the British was often tested, they stayed reliable to British forces.

The British and the Indian allies worked together to harass the colonies and made threats in attempt to regain lost land in the Northern border and thereby gain much assess to the West. Finally, in 1779, the Americans finally took their threats seriously and acted on them. Washington believed that based on the relative inactivity in the northern front he could spare troops to resolve the Indian problem. The Americans formed a complicated scheme for the military expedition: General John Sullivan would advance north with nearly 2,500 troops from Pennsylvania; Colonel Daniel Brodhead was to advance north from Pittsburg with 600 troops. General James Clinton would lead an additional 1,500 troops south from the Mohawk Valley so meet up with Sullivan. Once the military combined, they would go forward to Niagara, the front of the Indians. Sullivan had an ultimate goal of wiping out the entire Iroquois Confederacy.

The plan was not executed as intended and thus gave the enemy a chance to flee. It wasn’t until August that the forces approached the enemy territory. There was very little fighting, only a few ambushes. For the most part, the Indian enemy fled before the Americans were able to reach them. Therefore, the ambush turned into a vast destruction of Indian property and crops. Successive towns were burned including stores and orchards. Although very little of the Indian population was killed or caught, General Sullivan practically wiped out their agricultural economy.

Indian resistance to the advancement of the “white man” did not stop. In the South many Native American tribes came together to form a pan-Indian Confederacy dedicated to fighting those who invaded their land. By possessing Spanish arms gained in trade, the Indians were able to slow white advances. Alexander McGillivray delivered the message of the pan-Indian Confederacy to the United States Congress:

We Chiefs and Warriors of the Creek Chickesaw and Charokee Nations do hereby in the most solemn manner protest any title or claim or demand the American Congress may set up for or against our lands, settlements, and hunting grounds in consequence of the said treaty of peace between the King of Great Britain and the States of America declaring that we are not partys, so we are determined to pay to attention to the manner in which the British negotiators has drawn out the lines of the lands in question ceded to the Unites States of America- it being a notorious fact known to the Americans, known to every person who is any ways conversant in, or acquainted with American affairs , that has Brittannick Majesty was never possessed either by session purchase or right by conquest of our territories and which the said treaty gives away. . . .

The Americans. . . . have divided our territories into countys and state themselves down on our land, as if they were their own. . . . We have repeatedly warned the states of Carolina and Georgia to desist from these encroachments. . . . to these remonstrances we have received friendly talks and replys it is true but while they are addressing by the flattering appellations of friends and brothers they are stripping us of our natural rights by depriving us of that inheritance which belonged to our ancestors and hath descended from them to us since the beginning of time. [Founding Myths – Ray Raphael Pg. 233]

The Americans tried to strategize to wean the Indians from their British allies who promised them assistance and pledges that the white population would be contained. The Indians were eventually let down when their population became outnumbered and the uprising power of the “white man” overcame them. For the Indian population, fighting in attempt to save their culture was necessary given the circumstances. However it was inevitable that the “white man” would conquer them based on their advances. The American Revolution would have occurred whether the Indians existed or not and the fact that they fought against the early Americans was merely a speed bump compared to the rest of the Revolution.

Essay Proposal

The question that I plan to explore and answer in my essay is what affects the Indians had on the start of the American Revolution. More in depth, I plan to discuss the Iroquois Indians who were a large and powerful tribe at the time.

The Definition of an American

The United States of America is the "melting pot" of the world. It has been a place of retreat for foreign immigrants to flee to in order to pursue their hopes and dreams in freedom. Therefore, there is no stereotypical image of what an American is. I believe, by definition, an American is one who lives or was born in the United States and in one way or another supports the country’s well being. This could be by working in the country or supporting it in a time of war. In addition, you should be an authorized citizen, whether you are born here or earn legal citizenship.

The Arena

The demise of the Native American population was a result of their threat to the Europeans. Europeans were power hungry and wanted complete control of the new land they discovered. However, the Native Americans who were already established on the land posed as a threat to them fully inhabiting their discovery. Because of this conflict the Native American people were brutally killed and became part of a series of fictional stories.

In order to make themselves feel better, the Europeans made up stories and referred to the Native Americans as savages. They portrayed them as being barbaric and warlike in order to make themselves feel better for conquering their land and killing most of their inhabitants. They argued that the Native Americans were not real farmers, merely hunter and gathers who never really settled in one place and claimed the land. Therefore, they felt as if they were taking over land that had never been occupied, when truly it already had a definite owner.

Rather than making peace with the Native Americans and sharing the land such as the Natives suggested, the Europeans fought for it and nearly wiped out the entire population over their own self-interest and craving for supreme power. These conflicts still causes great friction with remaining ancestors of the original Native Americans who were robbed of what beyond doubt belonged to them.

Furthermore, surviving minorities of the Native American population are still, in some cases, treated improperly. They want justice in return for the inequality forced upon their ancestors. Like many other segregated groups in America, the topic of their distress causes friction and un-comfort to people. Therefore, their pain and suffering often goes over looked. This can only be over come by people carefully voicing their opinion as well as hearing others and coming to some soft of understanding.

Native American Religion

The history of American religion is dominated by Christianity, first brought to our society by the early European settlers when they stumbled across the ‘New World. However, residents on the already discovered continent included millions of Native Americans who had completely opposite beliefs as the newcomers. Differences in customs were irrelevant when compared to the differences in denomination between the white Europeans and the Native Americans. A lack of tolerance for the Native American spirituality paired with the settler’s desire for land turned in to massacre nearly wiping Native American civilization off the face of the earth.

Native Americans relied greatly on natural resources for societal purposes. Agriculture, as well as hunting and gathering is what made the Native Americans so successful. Their environment provided them with rich fertile soil for farming, wildlife such as bison for game and streams and rivers with plentiful fish. More importantly, the Native Americans also had a greater fundamental understanding of the land that served as a sacred power; the belief that everything in the universe was interconnected and possessed a spiritual force that could affect the lives of the people and of all living things. It was vital to have spirits on your side lending aid for success in hunting and farming as well as childbearing and success in battle. Negligence could result in offending the spirits and in return being punished by lack of food or harm to your family.

Rituals and ceremonies were used to praise and contact sacred spirits. By performing rituals, they believed that because the entire world was interconnected, they could maintain their own relationship with the sacred beings as well as ensure a properly preserved natural order. In connecting with the benevolent spirits they gained success in necessities, such as hunting and gathering.

The religion of the Native Americans was very much based upon the fact that “seeing is believing”. They lived a cyclical lifestyle, thinking that even after your physical life on earth came to a demise you would return as a spirit and remain with your people. Their landscape around them had significant meaning to them as well. They lived out their entire life at the origin of their ancestors making certain that their relatives would forever be in their presence.

Native Americans, because they lacked a written language, used anecdotes and legends through oral tradition to explain the history of their universe and any other storied relation to the earth’s creation. Because they did not have script, Western scholars refer to the Native American stories as just myths. Ronald Wright best describes a myth as:

Myth is an arrangement of the past, whether real or imagined, in patterns that resonate with a cultures deepest values and aspirations. Myths create and reinforce archetypes so taken for granted, so seemingly axiomatic, that they go unchallenged. Myths are sp fraught with meaning that we live and die by them. They are the maps by which navigate through time.
[The Earth Shall Weep Pg. 4]

Accounts pertaining to origin vary from one Native American culture to another. Some societies have in depth descriptions of how their ancestors rose from the underground and migrated to the current location. Other civilizations believe that the first women fell through a hole in the sky. Numerous tribes have stories describing a time when animals and humans were the same and had the outstanding ability to communicate. Nearly all tribes refer to themselves in their own languages as ‘the real people’ and each group’s story locates themselves decisively in a place of special power and significance.

Furthermore, the Native Americans had no concern for the myths of their neighbors. They believed that their neighbors were created to be a part of an entirely different landscape and would understand their own accounts of origin through their own past and experiences. The contemporary writer Vine Deloria Jr. further explained this as:

People believed that each tribe had its own special relationship to the superior spiritual forces which governed the universe and that the job of each set of tribal beliefs was to fulfill its own tasks without worrying about what others were doing. Tribal knowledge was therefore not fragmented and was valid within the historical and geographical scope of the people’s experience. Black Elk [a prominent Lakota spiritual leader], talking to John Neihardt, explained the methodology well: ‘This they tell, and whatever it happened so or not, I do not know; but if you think about it, you can see that it is true.’
[The Earth Shall Weep Pg. 9]

The Native American culture and religion reached its end when Christopher Columbus discovered the continent and it was invaded with egger Europeans. The Native Americans were more than tolerant to the newcomers. The two cultures even engaged in the trading of goods. The Native Americans viewed trade as a ceremonial gift exchange that allowed them to connect with the Europeans in a world of mutual understanding. The relationship and understanding between the Europeans and Native Americans was well described by Nanepashemet:

The native world view was a lot different from the European world view, because native people did not believe there was finite knowledge. Knowledge was infinite. Any person could acquire new knowledge and introduce it to his community and it would be accepted if it was useful. So the idea of the Europeans and their material culture and their beliefs was alien to people, but their cultural make-up allowed then to accept new information… They were able to accept Europeans goods, although they used many things according to their own cultural dictates, like using brass kettles for producing arrowheads and spoons for ornaments, as well as using them for cooking. And using European cloth in native tailoring. Those things… were just adapted to their own cultural needs.
[The Earth Shall Weep Pg. 38]

However, Native Americans were not immune to diseases and infections that the foreigners carried and they were overtaken by illness mistakenly exchanged in the trading process. Some Europeans used the Natives lack of resistance to their advantage and purposely infected them to takeover their land. This defeated and killed much of the Native population.

The remaining Native Americans that had not been conquered by ailment were attacked by the Europeans who were ambitious for new land to form new larger colonies. In ‘The Battle at Wounded Knee’, European soldiers attacked Native Americans and overcame the, with horses and guns. On foot, using only bows and arrows, the Native Americans were not able to put up a fair fight and were wrongfully slaughtered. Taking no mercy on even women and children, the Europeans killed nearly the total Native American population. The war was later renamed ‘The Massacre at Wounded Knee’, to better describe the horrific events.

Today, it is hard for our modern society to believe the same way that the Native Americans did. What American culture believes concerning the origin of the universe is, for the most part, supported by early religious texts, such as the Bible, or can be proven by science. We live a linear life, rather than cyclical, as the Native Americans did, our time on earth will come to an end. According to the current most popular Christian religion, if time was cyclic Jesus Christ would have to be crucified again and again and therefore there would be no final sacrifice for the world’s sins.

In conclusion, because of the Europeans lack of tolerance for the Native Americans culture and religion, their civilization was conquered and virtually vanished from the face of the earth. Their religion and beliefs are still not accepted and are merely looked at as myths and legends that cannot be proven and therefore must not be true.

Religion Midterm

Religion is related to beliefs and rituals that involve faith in a spiritual nature and can be linked to inherited traditions, knowledge and wisdom associated with life. The idea of religion refers to ones personal practices related to faith as well as a larger, more universal system of beliefs. Religion is described as the following in the Encyclopedia of Religion:

"In summary, it may be said that almost every known culture involves the religious in the above sense of a depth dimension in cultural experiences at all levels — a push, whether ill-defined or conscious, toward some sort of ultimacy and transcendence that will provide norms and power for the rest of life. When more or less distinct patterns of behaviour are built around this depth dimension in a culture, this structure constitutes religion in its historically recognizable form. Religion is the organization of life around the depth dimensions of experience — varied in form, completeness, and clarity in accordance with the environing culture." (Religion [First Edition]. Winston King. Encyclopedia of Religion).

During the Renaissance era, religion was strictly confined to Catholic beliefs. The church held supreme power. However, the church suffered from a low level of morality within its clergy. Many were living a luxurious lifestyle and had illegitimate children; they were more concerned with secular powers rather than religious affairs. The church also limited economics by prohibiting charging interest as well as forming unions. In addition to that, the Church was paid a tithe amounting to 10% of a persons annual earnings.

In 1517, Martin Luther published his 95 Theses on the corruption of the Church, including its practice of selling indulgences. Luther claimed that the only thing indulgences granted was an increase in both greed and profit to the church and they had no holy relation. As a reaction to the promotion of indulgences received by Johann Tetzel, papal commissioner for a German church, Luther made a list of 95 discrepancies within the church and dispersed them for everyone to read as well as mailed it to the Archbishop. Although others had attacked the church prior to Luther, he started a revolution and focused all of society on the wrong of the church. Copies of his 95 Theses were soon translated into German and other languages and were spread throughout Europe. Within two weeks his opinion had reached all of Germany and two months all of Europe knew about it. This sparked the Reformation.

Another major argument concerning religion took place during the Scientific Enlightenment and Revolution between religious beliefs and scientific facts. Scientists such as Copernicus, Galileo and Kepler hypothesized about space and the development of the universe. Their emerging scientific theories conflicted with the Church and orthodox beliefs. This placed pressure and doubt on the Church.

In addition to rising theories during the Scientific Enlightenment came the encyclopedia. In this book, authored by Diderot, people could learn anything they wanted to know about anything. The encyclopedia was an entire set of books for people to access and study from. The Church, of course, did not favor these books and took possession of them, forbidding that any more be printed. From the era of the encyclopedia's creation came the term deism. A deist is one who celebrates the works of God based on reason rather than assurance, however believes that the Bible is flawed and that God does not interfere with how the universe runs. Diderot wanted people to be able to believe what they want, in order to do that they would have to be given all the information.The Church was greatly opposed to this and wanted people to believe what the preached.

This issue is still popular in our society today, religion and science still conflict. Theories such as the big bang theory contradict the Bibles truth on the creation of earth in 7 days. The same with the scientific theory of evolution debating the creation of human kind by means of Adam and Eve. Also, another major problem if the topic of stem cell research. The Catholic Church strongly disapproves of stem cell research but controversy scientists do not. Stem cells are taken from embryos and religious beliefs doesn't allow for them to be destroyed.However, they could be used to save another already existing life. What one believes to be correct is based upon their own personal views of truth and what is right. All of society doesn't believe only one theory; there are those who support the scientific theories and those who have conviction in what is told religiously in the Bible.

Currently, because of our "flat world platform", as according to Friedman, technology has progressed in a way that nearly everything can be supported with scientific proof. There is an explanation for almost everything and if has not yet been discovered, because of advances in knowledge, it at one point will be. Based upon this, eventually opinions of the Bible, supported only by faith, will be disproved and replaced with scientific fact and hard evidence. By this time, religion and faith will play a role in only a small percent of peoples lives while others believe in what can be verified by reality. There will always be a quantity of people who have faith in religious beliefs because showing the Bible to be false after it has been advocated for hundreds of years is nearly impossible. However, when there is scientific evidence proving a theory not supported by the Bible, a majority of people will favor that.

In conclusion, religion at one point played a major role in people lives at one point and was valued daily. As time and knowledge progressed religion became less of a necessity to people. The scientific Revolution brought new ideas and theories making religious beliefs less credible. The "flat world" progresses in what can be supported by hard evidence and makes even less cause for the role of religion. Eventually, this will progress and the position that religion plays in individuals lives will decrease.