Friday, October 31, 2008

John Adams


John Adams (October 30, 1735-July 4, 1826) was a famous politician in early American history. He served as the United States' first Vice President, serving for two terms. He also served as the second President of the United States.

Adams, before we were the U.S., served as a delegate from Massachusetts to the Continental Congress. He worked diligently at persuading the group to adopt the Declaration of Independence.

Early Life

Adams was born to John and Susanna Boylston Adams, on October 30, 1735, in Braintree, Massachusetts .

In 1751, at age sixteen, Adams attended Harvard College. Adams's father desired that he become a minister, however, John was unsure about his career. He taught at Worcester, giving him some extra time to think about his future career. 'After much reflection, he decided to become a lawyer and studied law in the office of James Putnam, a prominent lawyer in Worcester. In 1758, Adams was admitted to the bar. From an early age, he developed the habit of writing descriptions of events and impressions of men which are scattered through his diary. He put the skill to good use as a lawyer, often recording cases he observed so that he could study and reflect upon them.' (the words in the ' and ' are taking from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Adams)

John Adams married Abigail Smith, in 1764. They had six children: [1]Abigail, [2] John Quincy, [3] Susanna, [4] Charles, [5] Thomas Boylston, and [6] Elizabeth.

Cabinet
The Adams Cabinet

Office Name Term

President John Adams 1797–1801
Vice President Thomas Jefferson 1797–1801

Secretary of State Timothy Pickering 1797–1800
John Marshall 1800–1801

Secretary of Treasury Oliver Wolcott, Jr. 1797–1801
Samuel Dexter 1801

Secretary of War James McHenry 1796–1800
Samuel Dexter 1800–1801

Attorney General Charles Lee 1797–1801

Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Stoddert 1798–1801



FYI

HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEEEEEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, October 24, 2008

American Government


The government of the United States of America is a Democratic-Federal-Republic. The first part of the USA's government is democratic. Democracy is a government put in the people's hands. In a democracy, everybody votes for everything. However, in America we do NOT have a pure democracy, like a lot of people think. A democracy only works in small countries or communities. If we did have a pure democracy, all 300,000,000 people in America would have to go to Washington, D.C. to vote on every federal law passed. Obviously, the USA doesn't have a pure democracy. America shows democratic tradition through the election of its President and Congressmen. The United States' Government shows federalism through its federal and central government. Levels of government are set up [on a graph] vertically. (see picture below- excuse me if its too small to see; if you can't see it, you can just click on the picture.) Federal government is at the top (as you may have noticed) but is supposed to have the least amount of power, which is why its space on the graph is so small. Below it, it says states. The states' governments are below the federal government, but are supposed to have more power. Below that are communities. (Examples are cities, towns, small organizations, etc.) They are below federal and state governments. Next are families, then individuals. Simple problems need to be solved at the bottom of the triangle and move up only when necessary. More serious problems may start immediately at higher parts on the graph. An example would be foreign invasion. Foreign invasion can't be settled individually, in families, or communities. The federal government is who takes care of foreign invasion. You see, problems such as education and health care are not supposed to be taken care of by the federal government. They shouldn't be the ones to control our lives. Families, and when absolutely necessary, communities, should be the ones to take care of their education and health care. There is more than this, these are just more common government controls. Now to talk to republicanism. Republicanism is a system of government in which governmental officials represent the people or states. Senators and Representatives are great examples of America's republicanism. The government of the United States of America shows democratic, federal, and republican tradition, making us a DEMOCRATIC-FEDERAL-REPUBLIC.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

NBA ROCKS! [Go Suns!]


My best friend (homie, homeslice, homedog), Jed, (left) invited me to come with them to a PHX SUNS game! It was my first NBA game. I thought it was awesome. (Especially Shaq and Nash) We started off so well but we lost 100-96 to the Atlanta Hawks. (Ya, it Stinks) Jed was crazy! (in a good way) and was yellin' at the hawks, calling them lint-lickers and somethin' else I don't thing that should be told. Well below are pix of Jed in his 'crazy state' and of the game.
I told him I was going to blog this pic and tried to delete it. But he says "no wait! you were going to blog it remember!"

Monday, October 6, 2008

Blogging: That Hits The Mark!

Guess what?! I got an award. My mom got this award for her blog by another blogger. What you're supposed to do is give it to three other people.
So here are my choices: my friend, Jed, has a blog that is more of a website full of games: Mastermind Games!
I would also like to award it to my dad's two blogs: The Title of Liberty and The Iron Rod.

Friday, August 29, 2008

George Washington


George Washington (February 22, 1732-December 14, 1799) served as the first national administrator of the United States of America. Or in other words, he was our first president. Besides national administration, there were two other key events in American history that would never have even happened without the brilliant founding father: (1) victory in the War for Independence (2) and the Constitutional Convention.

Early Life

Washington's ancestry leads back to the Scandinavian Viking Founder, Odin. (I found this interesting.) His great-grandfather, John Washington, was the man who led the Washingtons to America. During the year 1657, John Washington moved to the Virginian Colony.

Family Tree:
George Washington (Virginia) Father:
Augustine Washington (Virginia) Father:
Lawrence Washington (?) Father:
John Washington (Virginia) Father:
Lawrence Washington (England)

He lived on the Pope's Creek Estate where he was educated by his father and half-brother.

As a young man he served as a surveyor for Baron Fairfax. In 1751, Washington and his half-brother, Lawrence Washington, traveled to Barbados in search of a cure for Lawrence's tuberculosis. Lawrence died in 1752 and Washington inherited some of his estate. When George Washington was 20 years old, he enlisted in the Virginia militia as Major, which is incredible and quite rare. In December of 1753, Governor Robert Dinwiddie asked Washington to send a British ultimatum to the French on the Ohio frontier.


The French and Indian War [Seven Years' War]


In 1754, Washington was commissioned a lieutenant colonel by Dinwiddie and commanded to lead the militia to Fort Duquesne to drive out the French. With their American Indian allies, they attacked a group of 30 French scouts. However, Washington was overwhelmed at Fort Necessity by the French. After his terms of surrender, he resigned.

In 1755, Washington assisted General Braddock in the Monongahela expedition (also known as the Braddock Expedition). The Monongahela expedition was a major effort to retake the Ohio area from the French. General Braddock was killed in the battle, but Washington defeated the French and was promoted to colonel and commander of all Virginia forces.

In 1758, Washington served as a brigadier general during the Forbes expedition that urged the French to evacuate Fort Duquesne and Pittsburgh. Later that same year, Washington resigned and became a planter and politician.

Martha Washington

In New Kent County, Virginia, Washington met a widow from White House Plantation. Her name was Martha Custis Dandridge. They were married on January 6, 1759 at her home, known as the White House.

The War for Independence



On July 14, 1775, Congress created the Continental Army. Washington was appointed Major General and elected to the rank Commander-in-Chief.

In August 1776, General William Howe of the British lead a massive naval and land attack to take New York and the Continental Army engaged with the British in battle. This was the biggest battle of the entire Revolution and is known as the Battle of Long Island. Unfortunately, the British drove the Continental Army out of New York, leaving them in doubt. However, on Christmas of 1776, Washington led a counterattack across the Delaware River into Trenton, New Jersey, capturing 1000 Hessians. In January, they were the victors in a battle at Princeton. Another battle won by the British, was the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777. After a couple of British victories, Washington trapped General Burgoyne at Saratoga, New York. After this victory, France entered the war as one of America's allies.

Washington's army camped at Valley Forge during December of 1777. They spent six horrible, freezing months there. 2,500 of their 10,000 died from disease and exposure to the cold. However, thanks to Baron van Steuben help, they came out of Valley Forge ready to fight. In 1778, the British evacuated Philadelphia but were attacked at Monmouth by Washington's army. The British were on their way to New York. Washington was stationed outside New York and destroyed over 40 Iroquois villages.

The French fleet trapped British troops on a peninsula near the city of Yorktown. Then the British surrendered at Yorktown on October 17, 1781, marking the end of the American Revolution.

In 1787, George Washington served as the President of the Constitutional Convention. The states ratified it, and the government was established. Then George Washington was unanimously elected the first president of the United States under the new Constitution. He served as President for two terms, as well as voluntarily added 'so help me God' to the end of the Oath of Office.


The Washington Cabinet
Office
Name
Term
President:
George Washington
1789–1797
Vice President:
John Adams
1789–1797
Secretary of State:
Thomas Jefferson
1790–1793
Edmund Randolph
1794–1795
Timothy Pickering
1795–1797
Secretary of Treasury:
Alexander Hamilton
1789–1795
Oliver Wolcott, Jr.
1795–1797
Secretary of War:
Henry Knox
1789–1794
Timothy Pickering
1795–1795
James McHenry
1796–1797
Attorney General:
Edmund Randolph
1789–1794
William Bradford
1794–1795
Charles Lee
1795–1797

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

John Jay


John Jay was an American politician, statesmen, revolutionary, diplomat, and Supreme Court Chief Justice. Jay also served in the Continental Congress. Before and after the War for Independence, he served as an ambassador to Spain and France. He also helped write the Federalist Papers with Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. Jay, as I said before, served as the first US Supreme Court Chief Justice from 1789 to 1795. In 1795, Jay was elected the Governor of New York, and his term ended in 1801. He was also a great leader who opposed slavery.

Birth

John Jay was born on December 12, 1745 in New York City. He was the 8th child in his family. His family tree, stretches back to French Huguenots. His father, Peter Jay, married Mary Van Cortlandt and had ten children. Unfortunately, only seven of the children survived. When Jay was but an infant, his family moved from Manhattan to Rye for a healthier environment. The main cause of their move was because two of the children had gotten smallpox.

Minister to Spain

On September 27, 1779, Jay was appointed a Minister (or ambassador) to Spain. During his time as a minister to Spain, he convinced them to loan $170,000 to the US.

Federalist Papers

Jay didn't attend the Constitutional Convention but he did help in the argument of the changes of government with Hamilton and Madison. They created the Federalists Papers, which is a series of eighty-five articles written to help convince the states to ratify the Constitution.

Funfacts!

Cities named after Jay: Jay, Maine, Jay, New York, Jay Vermont. Jay County, Indiana





Today...

Independence Day for Moldova (1999)
Constitution of Malaysia came into force (1957)
Mars made its closest approach to Earth (2003)

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Rufus King (March 24, 1755-April 29, 1827)


Rufus King volunteered for militia duty during the American Revolutionary War. He was appointed a major in the army under General Sullivan in the Battle of Rhode Island.

In 1787, Rufus King was sent to the Constitutional Convention representing Massachusetts and worked on getting it ratified. He also attempted to serve as a US Senator for Massachusetts but failed. Although he did serve as a US Senator for New York.

King disagreed with slavery as well as the slave trade. In 1817, he assisted the US Senate, which was currently seeking to abolish slavery.

His family also enjoyed being involved in politics. For example, his brother William was the first governor of Maine and his other brother, Cyrus, was a US Congressman.

Fun facts!

Rufus King was born in Scarborough, Massachusetts. Although Scarborough is no longer a city in Massachusetts, but in Maine.

Click here for more information.