Thomas Jefferson

I think that Thomas Jefferson is the person who defined America the most out of the four authors given. All of these authors had the same goal for the future of America, but I think Thomas Jefferson did more to really define America. Even in the first sentence of the reading it states everything that Thomas Jefferson did in his life, and what he did in each of them made an impact on America. Not only did he write our Declaration of Independence he was also the 3^rd President of the United States, first secretary of state, minister to France, governor of Virginia, and congressman (pg. 338). Thomas Jefferson gave a lot to this country and really kept what the people would want in mind when writing the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson strived for a life where all men would be created equal, and where America would be a free land for everyone. Thomas Jefferson was the person who actually wrote what our country is based off of today, and defined America for what it is. Some of the things Americans take for granted we would not have if it were not for the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We gained rights that were not allowed in Britain such as, the right to bear arms, freedom of religion and freedom of speech. If Thomas Jefferson did not want freedom of religion we would all most likely be Puritans right now, and there would not be as much diversity. I think America would be a much different place if it were not for these rights and others that we receive as American citizens. Even back in the 17 and 1800’s Thomas Jefferson did not want slavery, and brought up the idea to make it illegal in the Declaration of Independence. I think that our country would be even more advanced than what it is today if things like these were not taken out. Thomas Jefferson just wanted the best for America’s future, and wanted to try to have these laws followed for many years to come. In my opinion Thomas Jefferson had the more common person in mind when he was making the Declaration of Independence, he said that every man has a right to each of these things, and no one can say differently.

Thomas Jefferson

I believe Thomas Jefferson did the most to define “America” as we know it. His lifelong passion was to “liberate the human mind from tyranny, whether imposed by the state, the church or our own ignorance.” (pg 339) He went to law school, and then was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses where he began his career in the legislature. He was a delegate to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia (1776). He wrote the original draft of the Declaration of Independence. After he left the congress, he entered the Virginia House of Delegates and in 1779 was elected Governor. In 1784, Jefferson was appointed Minister of France and served on the commission that signed the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War. In 1790, he was appointed the first Secretary of State under the new Constitution. In 1800, he was elected president (the first to be inaugurated in Washington DC). The Library of Congress contains 55,000 of Thomas Jefferson’s manuscripts and letters. He “distrusted rulers and feared the rise of an industrial proletariat, but more than any of his eminent contemporaries, he trusted the common man....” (pg 340)

Thomas Jefferson served the citizens of this country in a political sense for most of his adult life. His writings in the Declaration of Independence showed that he was thinking of the colonists and what they should be entitled to as he was writing it. He wanted it stated that all men are created equal and that they had rights such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. He also wanted to ensure that laws that were made could be changed and that the united colonies ought to be free and independent states and that there should be no allegiance to the British Crown. He, in essence, wrote the words that made our country the free and independent nation that it is today.

Maria McDonough

I believe author John De Crevecouer most described America as we know it. He gave many examples that made America set apart from other countries. First he asks " ...can a man call England or any other kingdom his country? A country that had no bread for him, whose fields procured no harvest, who met nothing but the frowns of the rich..." (312). By this he is describing Europe being a more poor country, and wants to know how any person living there can call it their country when they can not even provide food for them. Another example of him defining America is when he describes all the different types of backgrounds of people that come to America. "I could point out to you a family whose grandfather was an Englishman, whose wife was a Dutch, whose son married a French woman, and whose present four sons now have four wives of different nations. He is and American..." (312). By this he means that no matter what walks of life people come from, when they come together to the United States and help one another and love others they are an American. Another way he shows how people are Americans is their choice of religion. "How does it concernthe welfare of the country, or the province at large, what this man's religious sentiments are, or really whether he has any at all? He is a good farmer, he is sober, peaceable, good citizen..." (316). This quote shows that he believes that regardless of what religion you are, if you are a good person you are still an American. To show how much he believes America is a great country he states "It is here then that the idle may be employed, the useless become useful, and the poor become rich; but by riches I do not mean gold and silver, we have but little of those metals; I mean a better sort of wealth, cleared lands, cattle, good houses, good clothes, and an increase of people to enjoy them" (319). All these are examples of how the author shows America being a great free country where people can grow and prosper.

Karissa

In my personal opinion there are two ways you can look at 'defining' America. In the first way, I would say Crevecour defined America by description. He wrote a very memorable letter about how many different ways of life there were in America at the time he was living there. The second way, and probably the way we are supposed to look at this assignment, would be Jefferson's writing of the Declaration of Independence, for it helped sculpt America into what it is today. Not only did he create an opening for freedom from Great Britain, but he also paved the way for many different peoples of the future to fight for their rights, including African Americans, and women.

TJ

Each of the four authors we studied this week made a tremendous impact on defining America as we know it today. They all did this in their own way. Franklin addressed the attitude of the American people. His words of wisdom were meant to inspire people to be productive and in the end, successful. Many of his sayings we still find useful today. Crevecoeur talked extensively about the broader picture of America. He saw it as a “melting pot” which is a term we use to this day when speaking about the ideas he discussed. America was certainly defined through his words about how the progression of colonies growth would take place. His description is geared more towards someone who has never been to America before, and he sure makes it sound like a great place to be. Like Franklin, Paine was speaking to the individual American when he wrote his Common Sense pamphlets. He was trying to “rally the troops” in a sense, and give the colonial people a much needed wake up call. However, I believe that Jefferson and his Declaration of Independence had the biggest impact on defining America. He spoke about the American ideals, the rights and liberties of her people, and the choice to cast off a tyrannical government if Americans found it necessary to do so. Most notably, he defined freedom in a way that would define our nation for the rest of time.

Thomas Jefferson most defined America

Thomas Jefferson most defined America by Amy Bremness
I think Thomas Jefferson was the one whom most define America, as we know it. He did many things that lead up to how we know America. Thomas Jefferson wanted to be remembered by three things “ drafting the Declaration of Independence, writing and supporting the Virginia statue for religious freedom. These all were significant on how we know America today. The Declaration of Independence is what he is most popular for. The Declaration of Independence is very significant to Americas history if we had not have had this signed America would be influenced today by the British parliament. Jefferson believed that America was tolerating a corrupt parliament and king. He wanted these corruptions noted in the Declaration, but congress would not let him. Thomas Jefferson was not happy about Congress excluding other important ideas, such as, the freedom of slaves “He was waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating and carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither”(344 Norton). The declaration gave white men the right to bear arms, freedom of speech and freedom of religion. These were big considering in Britain these were rights that were not allowed. Declaration leads to the revolution and many years later freedom of slaves also the right for women to vote. The ideas that were places in this are a first step to many things that had changed and is what we know America to be now. I believe a black president would not have been possible if Thomas Jefferson had not open the idea of slaves having the same rights as all other humans have. The right to his own body and the right to respect and decency.

I picked Crevecoeur as the one who actually defined and wrote about America as we know it today. At first I though of Thomas Jefferson, because he had a great influence by his writing of the Declaration of Independence. However, I saw his vision of America as more of a farming country with not much industry. I think he was afraid it would turn out like Britian. Crevecoeur made a lot of statements that really define America today such as on Page 312, "What then is an American, this new man?", seeing the new Americans as a great mixture of people from other countries, which was different from other places. On Page 313 he said, "Here individuals from all nations are melted into a new race of men, whose labors and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world. He visioned America s being one of the greatest countries in the world. He saw the hard working man able to do whatever he set his mind to. "Americans are the western pilgrims, who are carrying along with them that great mass of arts, sciences, vigor, and industry which began long since in the east; they will finish the great circle. (Page 313) Someplace in the article, it said he celebrated diversity of people in one land, working together. He also talked about the decline of the importance of religion. On Page 311, he said, "Who can tell how far it (America) extends? Who can tell the millions of men whom it will feed and contain?" Here he saw millions more people coming to America and America becoming a great nation that was free.

Thomas Paine Defines America

I believe Thomas Paine did the most to define America. He was very outspoken about Great Britain and talked about how they had bad intentions with the future of America. He also believed that America could be, and should be independent when he says some people say “America has flourished under her former connection with Great Britain, the same connection is necessary towards her future happiness, and will always have the same effect. Nothing could be more fallacious than this kind of argument” (pg 327). He believed that America would have been fine, if not better off, it Great Britain hadn’t tried to move in. Paine wrote “Common Sense” which was intended for the average person to make them aware of what Great Britain was doing and why they shouldn’t settle for being under Great Britain's power. I think taking the initiative to come out and write this document set the tone for Americans right to express their opinion. The average person might have had the same thoughts as Paine did but they didn’t come out and say anything. Without Paine, and others like him, I don’t think we would have the freedom to say what we think is right or wrong. We would be more like many countries today that live in fear of their leaders.

Jefferson defines America

Although I enjoyed reading Franklin’s text the most, I would have to say that Jefferson best defines America as we know it today. My main reason for thinking this is due to the fact that he merely wrote the Declaration of Independence himself (he had help, yet the main ideas were his, and he took it upon himself to write it). I know many people in America today may not even know that Jefferson wrote this, or have seen his main copy (not the rewritten version), yet the Declaration still holds strong today. In a world where one’s autonomy plays a main role in all aspects of life we rely on and trust the main points of the Declaration to continue to have our rights we have today. Not only did he write the Declaration, he was also one of our presidents. He had so many accomplishments in life it astounded me. He really worked with his heart and soul to try and put his ideas for the future America into play. I think this would be a vital reason as well- he was a very smart man that only was thinking of America’s future and wanted the best for it.

Thomas Jefferson: A Real American Hero

I think that Thomas Jefferson most properly defines "America" we know because his "the Declaration of Independence" contains the fundamental principles of current American government system. "Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed (p. 342)." These words sound like Jefferson expresses the ideals of American republicanism which is the ideology of governing a nation as a democracy. In addition, the phrase "all men are created equal (p. 342)" seems to describe the democratic idea which emphasizes equal rights. As a matter of fact, the concept that government should guarantee "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (p. 342)" of the people is now universal. His ideas actually had a great impact on Europe as well as America; it became a powerful driving force of the French Revolution. "The Declaration of Independence" drafted by thirty-three year old Thomas Jefferson changed the world as well as America. There is the spirit of "the Declaration of Independence" in my country Japan today. Article thirteen of Japan's constitution states "Their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness within the limits of the general welfare shall be the supreme consideration of all law and of all government action." Jefferson might define an ideal "world" for the people who love freedom and equality.

Hiroe Oiri

Thomas Jefferson

I believe that Thomas Jefferson did the most of defining America as we know it today. He accomplished so many things during his lifetime which influenced our country to much extent. He achieved a lot in his eighty-three years of life. In these years Thomas Jefferson was a member of Congress, a member of Virginia House of Burgesses, Governor of Virginia, Minister of France, First Secretary of State, Vice President, and President of the United States. Jefferson also managed to be a remarkable architect as well as a lawyer and a farmer. He was an incredibly intelligent man and had several inventions in his busy life. He is also well known for his later years of his life that were spent in retirement at Monticello, during which period he founded, designed, and directed the building of the University of Virginia. Jefferson’s greatest accomplishment and what makes him the most known for defining America as we know it is his writing of the Declaration of Independence. This was a statement which announced that the thirteen American colonies were now independent states and no longer apart of the British Empire. He accomplished this when he was only thirty-three years old. Thomas Jefferson was a remarkably smart man who should and will be recognized for his deeds to America.

Hector St. John De Crevecoeur

(Jazmin Kittleson)

I believe that Hector St. John de Crevecoeur did the best job in explaining “America” as we do know it today. Not only was his writing most inspirational to me, but his writing was the most well spoken and easiest to understand. Some might argue that his knowledge of “America” might not be the best because he was born in France, and considering he was the Tory British loyalist, he was originally loyal to the British crown. However he steps away from the British loyalist and came to America. Even though he was not born in America I really like how he defines “America” in his book of letters of a life of an American Farmer, even though not every American was a farmer many were and that is where the hardship came from. Farmers were almost like the base of everything, even though they worked the hardest and made the least without them many other things would not have been. One main way in how he shows American in how it is with all the different cultures and religions, and how many different neighbors were of all different cultures and religions. He shows celebration of diversity in cultures throughout one land and in what we know now as the “melting pot,” many Americans were of different culture and even though some of them had many differences and dislikes, most of them came together as one and were able to tolerate one another.

Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine did the most to define “America” as we know it today. Unlike other writers of his time, his writing appealed to the common man. He wanted to reach out to as many people as possible to get his message across. His pamphlet, Common Sense, demonstrated something that is great about America, free speech. Today in America, free speech allows the media to watchdog the government and keep the people of America informed about what is going on. Paine’s Common Sense informed the colonists at the time what was wrong with Britain controlling them and that to become a great country of freedom they must become independent of Britain. Paine was not afraid to point out the faults in their relationship with Britain. He brought up that whenever Britain is at war with another country, we will also be at war with that country, and our trade will be ruined because of it. His writing inspired people to stand up for what they believe is right; something that is still very important in America today. Free speech in America today still shows the power of the written word and what it can do. It allows us to point out to other people what is wrong with how our current system works and how we can fix it. Thomas Paine’s Common Sense did exactly that and because of that we became an independent country.

Franklin

whom of these four authors did the most to define America. . . Was it Franklin, Paine, Crevecoeur, or was it Jefferson. Each individual author has added to the "definition" of America. For instance, Thomas Paine with 500,000 copies of his article "Common Sense" which helped drive Americans to venture away from Great Britain's Government. Thomas Jefferson was a man of many adventures. He has a very elegant tract recorded from congressman to governor, to the president of the United States. One of Jefferson's important contributions to "defining" America was the declaration of independence. I however, would choose Benjamin Franklin as the author who has defined "America" as we know it. He was Governor of New Jersey, chosen as a Representative to the Second Continental Congress, and signed the Treaty of Paris (which brought the revolutionary war to an end). His personal attributions to writing were also very successful. For instances, his publication of "Way to Wealth" and his "Remarks concerning the savages of North America." What we can appreciate from both publications was how he spoke to the reader with his heart in ink. in Franklin's "Remarks Concerning.." he said that "they call them savages because their manners differ from ours." This single passage I believe should define America. We should not judge other cultures or think poorly of them just because they are no just like us.

5.5 ~ Paine

Paine did a remarkable job in defining America. He had a realistic idea of what it was to be completely independent from outside sources. He was brutally honest about what it would really mean to be truly independent from Brittan. Paine did not sugar-coat the fact that being independent would be hard work and he had the belief that every individual had the power and was capable of doing what it takes. Paine advised that we could live off our own land and use our own goods in order to survive. The fact that Paine used language that a majority of the people he was speaking to was even more powerful and influential. He used the “cause of all mankind” as a persuasive statement which allowed him to voice what was already on everybody’s minds. Paine also defined America by using the words “industrious” and “capable” giving the power over to every individual. He empowered people. Paine was very aware of the opportunity that was presented to America by cutting off connection to Great Britain and that we would be more powerful without them than keeping a connection to them. He no longer wanted to be dependent upon them for anything and truly understood what it was to be independent. Not only did he define America; he defined what it would mean to be independent.

Modern Day Native Americans, Jason, Liesette, Hiroe, Rachel, Tracey, Karissa, Matt T.

Our speech to the Senate

I’m addressing you to express how our rights, which many people are calling privileges, are being taken away from us. Before the settlers came to our land we had our own lifestyle. Though they brought ways of living that benefited us with hunting and farming they brought also brought their laws that limited our lifestyle, with them. We believed the land wasn’t supposed to be owned by man but instead should be open for everyone to live off of. When the settlers invaded our lifestyle it was clear that they wanted us to leave and take our culture with us. They tried to force their lifestyle on us and set laws to limit our way of living by making our ancestors sign treaties which they didn’t understand. These treaties limited the amount of land to live on, and today our way of living is limited by the size of our reservation. We were able to keep some of our customs on the reservations but now you are trying to take them from us by charging us with taxes and changing rules about fishing and hunting. After setting us on reservations I think we deserve to keep what we have left of our traditional lifestyle. We signed treaties with the government of the United States, and they have not honored our treaties. They have been broken over and over. We are just asking that you go back to honoring the treaties you made with our ancestors and with us over the years. We are not asking for anything more.


Question 1
“How is our speech authentic?”
We tried to take past issues like the settlers moving into the area or moving the Indians to reservations and bring up the modern day issues like taxes and wildlife laws. The topics we brought up seem to have a lot of controversy because many people think native Americans get special treatment, but the native Americans seem to think they are just trying to hold on to what they have left from their ancestors lifestyle. Many of the past minorities that were separated by race and religion have blended in and been accepted by our modern day culture but native Americans still seem to have some segregation from the rest of today’s culture, and there’s controversy on their privileges/rights.

Question 2
“How does Red Jacket’s speech differ from Pontiac’s?”
Red Jacket’s speech is easier for us to understand than Pontiac’s. It sounds straightforward. Pontiac’s speech seems to be allegorical and symbolic. It is more like a fantastical tale than a speech. One of the reasons why the two speeches are quite different may be because of the difference in the audience. Although Pontiac’s speech might sound mystical, it probably comes from the perspective of non-Indian peoples. His speech must have been convincing and compelling for the Indians at the time.

Question 3
“How is Red Jacket’s speech similar to Pontiac’s?”
Just like we wrote in our speech, both speeches detail resistance to White man's ways and religion. Pontiac refers to the English as “red dogs” that came to change the native’s ways of living (pg 209). Both speeches reflect the times of friendly contact and the times of bitter conflict between the Native Americans and the White Americans. Red Jacket discusses how when settlers arrived the Native Americans “took pity” on them and helped them, but later the settlers caused conflicts and wanted land. Also, both speeches record the decline of Native American lands and game to the White Americans. The Native Americans didn’t seem to think the land belonged to people while the settlers saw it like it was not owned by anyone.

Kemble Knight's Journal

Group 1 (Jared, Connor, Anna D., Jazmin, Anna H., & Maria)

Traveling to another land, city, state, or country can be very exciting and extremely fun, but it can also be frustrating and disappointing. When you head off into your exciting journey of visiting an unknown place you begin with the travel experience. Many people voyage off by plane, boat, or car. One thing that can be extremely frustrating while traveling to another place would have to be directions, and finding your way around. One of the most frustrating things can be getting lost or not knowing which direction you are suppose to be headed in. One way in fixing this problem would be to ask someone who knows the area for directions or how to get to a specific location; most people are friendly enough to help someone with directions. The great thing about experience a different location would have to be the scenery and events that happen along with the different cultures you come across. You may need to be careful sometimes in making sure you don’t offend another culture since you are the person visiting their land and into their culture. Another important thing to remember when visiting another place would be to make sure you have everything you will need during your visit and to make sure when currency comes up you know how to use it there and how much of it.

1.) What differences do you see between Kemble Knight’s journal and other historical accounts we’ve read so far?

In other historical accounts we have read so far, Kemble’s Knight's journal is different because it shows true opinion. Kemble's opinion shows much more racism than other accounts we have read. She speaks about slave owners in New Haven, and how they allowed the slaves to eat at the table with them. ""...suffering too great familiarity from them, permitting them to sit at table and eat with them ( as they say, to save time), and into the dish goes the black hoof as feely as the white hand" (164). Kemble also speaks about drinking while on her journey. "a gentlewoman that lived at a farm house, who gave us a handsome entertainment of five or six dishes and a choice of beer..." (167). Many of the other historical readings we have been assigned have shown religion as the main purpose of the reading. I believe Kemble's piece however is more focused on opinion and rebellious words and choices made while on her journey.

2.) What accounts for the difference?

One of the main reasons for the differences seen between Knight and other journals read was due to her background. She was a very determined woman which accounts for her someone straightforward, blunt attitude while journaling. She had to "make her way in the world" (pg 162) and was hard-headed because of it. She also married a man who traveled a lot- so even though she was with someone, she still had to fend for herself and let her independence shine through. In her era, there weren't very many women writers to come by, which is why she also had to come on strong in her writing. All of these factors contributed to her style of writing, and why it was quite different from others we've read. Another thing that accounts for the differences is that because of the work she put into her career she was not afraid to show her opinion. While her husband was gone she ran a boardinghouse and taught at a school. She taught herself about laws and with that knowledge she settled many estates. Unlike other women in her time, she brought herself into a position normally taken by men. Because she is proud of this, she can become arrogant sometimes. Such as when she is in Connecticut and she calls their chief red-letter day "St. Election" day. She is making fun of the day by saying that it is as sacred as a religious holiday for the people of Connecticut. She is not afraid to express her opinion about other towns and how they are different from her Boston. While in Connecticut, she mentions that the people are "too indulgent to their slaves" and that the Native Americans she saw were the most savage she had ever seen.

3.) Why do you think Kemble Knight’s journal wasn’t read until the 19^th Century?

Kemble knight’s journal summarized her roundtrip journey from Boston to New York in 1704-1705. We believe that it was not read until the 19th century because it records an arduous journey not usually undertaken by a woman. This to me would not make for an interesting novel for the 17th century and would have bored a lot of educated individuals, usually the male population due to cultural beliefs back then. Thus, for the Kemble’s journal to be published in the 19th century is a little more applicable, more female audience, shows that not only men were independent but there were also women that were very independent. Another part of the reason that her writing wasn't published was because it probably wouldn't have received much notice at the time. Women were not published as frequently then as now, and this particular type of work (especially written by a woman) was not in demand at the time. Her journal also finally found an enthusiastic audience eager to read her documents and social history from the American past. The people in the nineteenth century would find something in the past more interesting to read as to figure out the details of their lives and where they came from rather than someone living in that time.

Amy, Beth C., Nicolle, Matt L., & Jennifer Assign. 4.6

Illegal drugs are bad for you and your body. If you take an illegal drug you can end up with very serious problems. By taking drugs for your entertainment you will be classified as either a criminal or a victim. Drugs do not solve problems, but make problems worse. They can ruin every aspect of a person’s life, not to mention affect your friends and family’s lives not to mention affect your friends and family’s lives as well. By doing drugs you are wasting your money, your time, and your life. Smoking is also a drug and is a terrible addicting habit to have. When you smoke your lungs fill up with poison that will causes damage to your body, and mind. If you continue to smoke you will be destined to a life with a buddy called an oxygen machine. No matter what you do or where you go, you will have to carry one of these machines around. Drinking is another drug and is also very bad for you.
God does not want you to drink alcohol. If you choose to drink alcohol you are headed down a slippery slope straight to hell. Each drink you have slides you further down this slope. God is holding each of you by a string and he could choose to let go at any time. Keep drinking alcohol and he could let you fall down at any moment. Each drink you have, you are more likely to be dropped. The devils stand ready to fall upon you and seize you at any moment. They stand ready, like greedy, hungry lions that see their prey and expect to have it. God’s hand is restraining them for the moment. Continue to drink alcohol and that could change. Encourage your friends around you not to drink alcohol. They are hanging by a string also, and are exposed to the same peril you are in. Right now you are healthy, if you should leave this world, it would be by accident. There is no visible danger to you. People who drink walk over the pit of hell on a rotten covering. There are numerable places where this covering is weak. Keep drinking and you could fall at any moment. Any care you take to preserve your own life or the care others give to preserve your life will not secure you. Continue to drink and you will damn yourself. Right now you have an extraordinary opportunity. The doors of mercy are wide open. Put down your alcoholic drink and make a commitment to quit drinking. You will be in a happy state with your heart full of love. Join the group and don’t be left behind!

If you uses drugs, alcohol or smoke you will have a life that is short and not worthwhile. You will lose friends, jobs and loved ones and your life. Don’t smoke do drugs or alcohol if you want to live a life full of health and happiness.

What changes did you make to your paragraph to make it resemble Edward’s work?
I wanted the writing to have that fire and brimstone feel that “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” has. I was forward about my belief on smoking. I didn't give any indication of that you might not end up causing damage. I just said it will cause damage. This resembles Edward's work because he was very forward about his beliefs and he was right.

Could Edward’s words have the same effect today? Why or why not?
Yes. Edward’s words could have the same effect today. There is something to be said for the peer pressure of being in a group and not wanting to be left behind. Edward’s words were powerful and really give the feeling that you are missing out on something if you don’t join the group and get left behind. I think so just because if you walk into any church during a service, more than likely it will sound just like Edwards's; forward and believable.