The construction of a new nation was largely completed by a small number of men. These men provided leadership to the colonials during the American Revolution and the writing of the Constitution. There were many things that were required of leadership during this time, and its seems that there was not one single man that possessed all of these qualities. There were seven men that stand out in American history that played a part during this time (George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr). They all possessed one or two qualities that the others did not. These qualities include honor, a military background, friendship, understanding, open-minded, politics, thinking, subtle, compassion, support, modesty, and knowledge of finances.
The man that really had the military background was George Washington. Washington fought during the French and Indian War for the British. On Christmas night in 1776, George Washington crossed the Delaware with 2,500 men and 18 artillery guns for a surprise attack at dawn. 106 Hessians were killed and 918 Hessians were captured. There were no Colonial casualties. Washington then retreated secretly to avoid General Cornwallis’s counter-attack. In January of 1777, Washington ambushed British troops at Princeton. This colonial victory established that the Revolution would not be a quick war for Britain, like they thought.
He had a strong military. The Battle of Saratoga established the American Army as a real threat. It also helped secure the open French Alliance. This was the turning point of the War.
Washington was also a man of honor. He is called the father of our country. Even before Benjamin Franklin’s death, he acknowledged George Washington’s superiority. King George III once said of George Washington, “If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world”. This deed that he was talking of Washington was to step down from being the political leader. Washington did just this, and it showed how good of a leader he was and how much he cared for America. This also set a standard for other political leaders to live up to.
George Washington did this in his Farewell Address. He talked about National Unity and Foreign Policy. He denounced excessive partnership and wished America’s government to be different than Europe’s government. He talked about independence from foreign nations, which cut deep within the country.
Washington took a vow never to purchase another slave. He wanted slavery to be abolished in the United States. He believed that the debate in the House was embarrassing and must come to an end.
Benjamin Franklin’s pseudonym was “Historicus”. He liked people to think that he knew all history. He was the thinker of the seven men. He often took time to think things out using details. He was anti-slavery and wanted to make his name known.
On February 2nd 1970, two Quakers (one from New York and one from Philadelphia) presented petitions to stop the African slave trade. Some people thought that the petition shouldn’t even be heard. One of these men was James Jackson, who was against Quakers and ending slavery all together. He called them “Shaking Quakers”. Benjamin Franklin had signed the petition.
Someone that thought the Quaker’s petition should be heard was James Madison. He was the most open-minded. He and Mason denounced the Sectional Compromise (an extension of slave trade for 20 years in return for support from the South for making the Federal regulation of commerce a majority vote in Congress instead of 2/3’s).
Madison was the opposite of Benjamin Franklin. He worked in the moment. Joseph J. Ellis believe that the two would have made an “unbeatable” team.
James Madison was shy, short and kind. He also humble and modest. He almost wrote the Constitution by himself, but he did not take the credit for it.
Madison bonded with Thomas Jefferson. This was because (for the most part) they were both from Virginia. Madison was the tactician and Jefferson was the strategist.
Thomas Jefferson was educated and a writer. Joseph J. Ellis said that Jefferson was “the master of silence, especially when he disagreed.” (Joseph J. Ellis, Founding Brothers, page 181). Jefferson probably agreed that the debate about slavery must stop, but he was quiet on the subject. He regarded debate and arguments as violations of natural harmonies.
In Jefferson’s rough draft of the Constitution, he said that the trade of slaves was the plot of an evil English monarch to contaminate the colonists. He was personally anti-slavery. After that, slavery was banned in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachussetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Soon it was also banned inn New York and New Jersey. The House had a vote of 25/29 to stop slavery in the United States.
On Sunday, June 20th, 1790, Thomas Jefferson hosted a dinner party. Three people attended it; Himself, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton. Alexander Hamilton was a founding member of the New York Manumission Society. His highest authority was the approval of his financial plan.
The conservation during dinner included the “Assumption of debt”. All colonies owed money. Alexander Hamilton wanted the federal government to have all the States work together to pay off the debt. The place of the Nation’s capital also needed to be decided.
The results of the Dinner were that Hamilton got his “Assumption of debt”. All the States would work together to pay off the debt. James Madison got the Nation’s capital to be on the Potomac River, in his home state of Virginia.
Alexander Hamilton came from a poor family. His father was a drunk merchant. All the other men in the government were of higher class. Therefore Hamilton was always trying to prove himself.
Hamilton knew Aaron Burr from the military. Burr came from a better background, and Hamilton was jealous of him. Burr thought that Hamilton was personally attacking him.
Alexander Hamilton had been insulting Burr for fifteen years. He said that Burr didn’t have any emotions, and he was always changing his politics to whatever suited him at the time. He compared Burr to Catiling, a man from the Roman Republic that almost single-handedly destroy it.
Aaron Burr wrote to Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton could have apologized, but instead responded offensively. They then had the “interview at Weehawken”.
The interview took place on the morning of July 11, 1804. At the time, Burr was vice president of the United States. Burr’s devoted disciple William Van Ness accompanied him. Hamilton came across the Hudson River also, accompanied by his physician Dr. David Hosack and his associate Nathaniel Pendleton. The site of the duel was a narrow ledge that was about ten feet wide and forty feet long. It was twenty feet above the Hudson River. The duel was called an “interview” because dueling was illegal in many states, including New York.
Hamilton put on his glasses, but he didn’t plan to shoot Burr. Two shots rang out. Burr had hit Hamilton about four inches above his right hip. He became unconscious and he died the next day. While he was leaving, Burr wanted to go check on his to make sure he was okay.
Pendleton and Van Ness published a Joint Statement. They claimed that both men had conducted themselves according to the code duello. They agreed that both men had fired their weapons. It was decided that Hamilton fired his weapon first and intentionally. He missed Burr intentionally. Burr didn’t know that Hamilton had even fired, so he shot him. Burr’s reputation suffered because of this, but he was understanding about the whole deal.
After Washington had stepped down, there was still the concern over who would be President of the United States. Benjamin Franklin had died before this time. It would be either Thomas Jefferson or John Adams.
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were the opposite of each other, both in appearance and personality. Jefferson was taller, slender and elegant. He was always calm and quiet. Adams was short and stout. He loved argument and talking. Benjamin Franklin found his austere and diligent.
After Adams had left office and Jefferson became President, there was a tension between them. When Jefferson’s daughter died from complications during childbirth, Abigail Adams, John’s wife wrote to Jefferson and he interpreted the letter as Abigail expressing her sympathy. He wrote back to her, telling her that the political rivary between himself and her husband had never destroyed the personal respect between them. Jefferson and Adams exchanged 158 letters within fourteen years and their friendship was rekindled.
On the night of July 3, 1826, Thomas Jefferson fell into a coma. His last words were, “Is it the fourth?” It wasn’t, and he stayed awake until the fourth. On the same day that Jefferson died, Adams collapsed into his reading chair and fell into unconsciousness. He died that evening. His last words were either “Thomas Jefferson survives” or “Thomas Jefferson still lives”. This shows that Adams had truly forgiven Jefferson.
In conclusion, the construction of the new nation was largely completed by a small number of me. Those me provided leadership to the colonials during the American Revolution, and the writing of the Constitution. Many things were required of leadership during this time, but there was not one man that possessed all of these qualities. With George Washington’s honor and military skills, Benjamin Franklin’s thinking, Thomas Jefferson’s subtle compassion and friendship, James Madison’s open mind and modesty, John Adam’s political and debate skills, Alexander Hamilton’s knowledge of finances, and Aaron Burr’s understanding of government, people and most importantly life, these seven men, the founding brothers of the United States of America, created a new nation that’s government still stands strong today.
The man that really had the military background was George Washington. Washington fought during the French and Indian War for the British. On Christmas night in 1776, George Washington crossed the Delaware with 2,500 men and 18 artillery guns for a surprise attack at dawn. 106 Hessians were killed and 918 Hessians were captured. There were no Colonial casualties. Washington then retreated secretly to avoid General Cornwallis’s counter-attack. In January of 1777, Washington ambushed British troops at Princeton. This colonial victory established that the Revolution would not be a quick war for Britain, like they thought.
He had a strong military. The Battle of Saratoga established the American Army as a real threat. It also helped secure the open French Alliance. This was the turning point of the War.
Washington was also a man of honor. He is called the father of our country. Even before Benjamin Franklin’s death, he acknowledged George Washington’s superiority. King George III once said of George Washington, “If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world”. This deed that he was talking of Washington was to step down from being the political leader. Washington did just this, and it showed how good of a leader he was and how much he cared for America. This also set a standard for other political leaders to live up to.
George Washington did this in his Farewell Address. He talked about National Unity and Foreign Policy. He denounced excessive partnership and wished America’s government to be different than Europe’s government. He talked about independence from foreign nations, which cut deep within the country.
Washington took a vow never to purchase another slave. He wanted slavery to be abolished in the United States. He believed that the debate in the House was embarrassing and must come to an end.
Benjamin Franklin’s pseudonym was “Historicus”. He liked people to think that he knew all history. He was the thinker of the seven men. He often took time to think things out using details. He was anti-slavery and wanted to make his name known.
On February 2nd 1970, two Quakers (one from New York and one from Philadelphia) presented petitions to stop the African slave trade. Some people thought that the petition shouldn’t even be heard. One of these men was James Jackson, who was against Quakers and ending slavery all together. He called them “Shaking Quakers”. Benjamin Franklin had signed the petition.
Someone that thought the Quaker’s petition should be heard was James Madison. He was the most open-minded. He and Mason denounced the Sectional Compromise (an extension of slave trade for 20 years in return for support from the South for making the Federal regulation of commerce a majority vote in Congress instead of 2/3’s).
Madison was the opposite of Benjamin Franklin. He worked in the moment. Joseph J. Ellis believe that the two would have made an “unbeatable” team.
James Madison was shy, short and kind. He also humble and modest. He almost wrote the Constitution by himself, but he did not take the credit for it.
Madison bonded with Thomas Jefferson. This was because (for the most part) they were both from Virginia. Madison was the tactician and Jefferson was the strategist.
Thomas Jefferson was educated and a writer. Joseph J. Ellis said that Jefferson was “the master of silence, especially when he disagreed.” (Joseph J. Ellis, Founding Brothers, page 181). Jefferson probably agreed that the debate about slavery must stop, but he was quiet on the subject. He regarded debate and arguments as violations of natural harmonies.
In Jefferson’s rough draft of the Constitution, he said that the trade of slaves was the plot of an evil English monarch to contaminate the colonists. He was personally anti-slavery. After that, slavery was banned in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachussetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Soon it was also banned inn New York and New Jersey. The House had a vote of 25/29 to stop slavery in the United States.
On Sunday, June 20th, 1790, Thomas Jefferson hosted a dinner party. Three people attended it; Himself, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton. Alexander Hamilton was a founding member of the New York Manumission Society. His highest authority was the approval of his financial plan.
The conservation during dinner included the “Assumption of debt”. All colonies owed money. Alexander Hamilton wanted the federal government to have all the States work together to pay off the debt. The place of the Nation’s capital also needed to be decided.
The results of the Dinner were that Hamilton got his “Assumption of debt”. All the States would work together to pay off the debt. James Madison got the Nation’s capital to be on the Potomac River, in his home state of Virginia.
Alexander Hamilton came from a poor family. His father was a drunk merchant. All the other men in the government were of higher class. Therefore Hamilton was always trying to prove himself.
Hamilton knew Aaron Burr from the military. Burr came from a better background, and Hamilton was jealous of him. Burr thought that Hamilton was personally attacking him.
Alexander Hamilton had been insulting Burr for fifteen years. He said that Burr didn’t have any emotions, and he was always changing his politics to whatever suited him at the time. He compared Burr to Catiling, a man from the Roman Republic that almost single-handedly destroy it.
Aaron Burr wrote to Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton could have apologized, but instead responded offensively. They then had the “interview at Weehawken”.
The interview took place on the morning of July 11, 1804. At the time, Burr was vice president of the United States. Burr’s devoted disciple William Van Ness accompanied him. Hamilton came across the Hudson River also, accompanied by his physician Dr. David Hosack and his associate Nathaniel Pendleton. The site of the duel was a narrow ledge that was about ten feet wide and forty feet long. It was twenty feet above the Hudson River. The duel was called an “interview” because dueling was illegal in many states, including New York.
Hamilton put on his glasses, but he didn’t plan to shoot Burr. Two shots rang out. Burr had hit Hamilton about four inches above his right hip. He became unconscious and he died the next day. While he was leaving, Burr wanted to go check on his to make sure he was okay.
Pendleton and Van Ness published a Joint Statement. They claimed that both men had conducted themselves according to the code duello. They agreed that both men had fired their weapons. It was decided that Hamilton fired his weapon first and intentionally. He missed Burr intentionally. Burr didn’t know that Hamilton had even fired, so he shot him. Burr’s reputation suffered because of this, but he was understanding about the whole deal.
After Washington had stepped down, there was still the concern over who would be President of the United States. Benjamin Franklin had died before this time. It would be either Thomas Jefferson or John Adams.
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were the opposite of each other, both in appearance and personality. Jefferson was taller, slender and elegant. He was always calm and quiet. Adams was short and stout. He loved argument and talking. Benjamin Franklin found his austere and diligent.
After Adams had left office and Jefferson became President, there was a tension between them. When Jefferson’s daughter died from complications during childbirth, Abigail Adams, John’s wife wrote to Jefferson and he interpreted the letter as Abigail expressing her sympathy. He wrote back to her, telling her that the political rivary between himself and her husband had never destroyed the personal respect between them. Jefferson and Adams exchanged 158 letters within fourteen years and their friendship was rekindled.
On the night of July 3, 1826, Thomas Jefferson fell into a coma. His last words were, “Is it the fourth?” It wasn’t, and he stayed awake until the fourth. On the same day that Jefferson died, Adams collapsed into his reading chair and fell into unconsciousness. He died that evening. His last words were either “Thomas Jefferson survives” or “Thomas Jefferson still lives”. This shows that Adams had truly forgiven Jefferson.
In conclusion, the construction of the new nation was largely completed by a small number of me. Those me provided leadership to the colonials during the American Revolution, and the writing of the Constitution. Many things were required of leadership during this time, but there was not one man that possessed all of these qualities. With George Washington’s honor and military skills, Benjamin Franklin’s thinking, Thomas Jefferson’s subtle compassion and friendship, James Madison’s open mind and modesty, John Adam’s political and debate skills, Alexander Hamilton’s knowledge of finances, and Aaron Burr’s understanding of government, people and most importantly life, these seven men, the founding brothers of the United States of America, created a new nation that’s government still stands strong today.
