Who's your favorite Founding Father?

[thedungeondelver]

There have been a lot of great political speeches given throughout world history but the one that defines why we are the way we are now as a nation was given by Washington, when his officer's corps was on the verge of rebellion against the nascent Congress after we'd won independence, and were ready to appoint him their leader (and make him a king - an actual monarch).

He went in to hear their demands and asked to speak first. These men loved Washington as a father figure to them, and if he'd said "recall the troops, we're marching on Philadelphia" they would have. Washington took out his notes, peered at them closely, then held them at arms length, struggling to read them, and said quietly, "Gentlemen, you must forgive me, I have given my eyesight in the service of our country."

So the story goes, he had those men in tears. When he was done explaining why they shouldn't rebel...that was it. That was the end of it.

That's...unimaginable grace, intelligence, kindness and patience. And leadership.

[tetramorph]

Well that has been a really cool conversation to read.

So I will play nicely!

Alexander Hamilton.

I side with the Federalists, in the main. Sure do miss that party. Sad it died so quickly.

And, no, I still haven't seen the musical!

I'm no expert, though, so it has been fun reading this thread.

[Ratbreath]

Under the Articles of Confederation, Jefferson would not have had the authority to enter into the deal with France without the assent of 9 states, nor would he have had a treasury from which to pay France.

It was not possible under the Articles that Jefferson favored and it was possible under the Constitution Jefferson did not want ratified.

I suppose I was being a bit off-topic but I didn't mean specifically under Jefferson's Articles. I just think it's theoretically possible and probably better.

[gizmomathboy]

It occurred to me that with a name like AustinJimm you didn't choose someone like Stephen Austin, Sam Houston, or even David Bowie

[bobjester]

Its been 35 years since I last read anything about the American Revolution, but this thread has inspired me to do something about it. I borrowed "1776" by David McCullough from a friend.

[AxeMental]

Its been 35 years since I last read anything about the American Revolution, but this thread has inspired me to do something about it. I borrowed "1776" by David McCullough from a friend.

There are few better uses of time. Another good book from the British perspective is "The Men who lost America" by Andrew O’Shaughnessy (I think he may be Irish and is pretty straight up, so beware to our English folk ).


https://www.amazon.com/Men-Who-Lost-Ame ... 0300209401

[bobjester]

Its been 35 years since I last read anything about the American Revolution, but this thread has inspired me to do something about it. I borrowed "1776" by David McCullough from a friend.

There are few better uses of time. Another good book from the British perspective is "The Men who lost America" by Andrew O’Shaughnessy (I think he may be Irish and is pretty straight up, so beware to our English folk ).


https://www.amazon.com/Men-Who-Lost-Ame ... 0300209401

I went to bed last night with a sore throat, and after returning from "the town", I thought I might have caught something from someone. I slept for over 10 hours and woke up sluggish. Time for a day for absolutely nothing. Except reading, cream can feed in a crock pot, and laundry. Its a good read so far - 50 pages in. (I don't read very fast anymore with failing eyesight and only the VA for eyecare...)

No internet until now.

Of the figures from 1776, so far, I really would like to read more of General Israel Putnam, also a veteran of the French & Indian War, and, as the book so far relates, had quite a colorful tour of duty, possibly on par with Chesty Puller.

[Vile]

Dr J. Eric Holmes!

Oh, wait, who are these other guys you're all talking about?

[Landifarne]

"...until you've had a good cigar and a shot of whiskey, you're missing the second and third best things in life."

-Horton Fenty
Future father of our nation

[Kellri]

Ho Chi Minh

[benjoshua]

Ho Chi Minh

Highly under-rated. Embers of War by Fredrik Logevall is the most comprehensive account available of the French Vietnamese war, America’s involvement, and shows Ho Chi Minh for the amazing and brilliant leader he was. This book won the Pulitzer prize and is a great read.

[Kellri]

Ho Chi Minh

Highly under-rated. Embers of War by Fredrik Logevall is the most comprehensive account available of the French Vietnamese war, America’s involvement, and shows Ho Chi Minh for the amazing and brilliant leader he was. This book won the Pulitzer prize and is a great read.

I assume you must mean in English?

[benjoshua]

I assume you must mean in English?

The daffynition of assume is that it makes an ass of u and me.

[Gentlegamer]

The irony is that without a strong central government with the authority to enter agreements with foreign governments, Jefferson's greatest legacy, the Louisiana Purchase never happens.

I think it'd still be possible to have an effective central government so long as it's relegated to things only a federal government can do and what the states would be more effective at doing is left to them.

Under the Articles of Confederation, Jefferson would not have had the authority to enter into the deal with France without the assent of 9 states, nor would he have had a treasury from which to pay France.

It was not possible under the Articles that Jefferson favored and it was possible under the Constitution Jefferson did not want ratified.

Two things:

1. The Constitution also did not really sanction the Louisiana Purchase as a unilateral action by the executive; nor did it even address territorial expansion of the United States.

2. Jefferson was a federalist; that is, he was in favor of the ratification of the Constitution. He was not present at the convention as he was ambassador to France at the time.

[AxeMental]

What exactly happened to the federalist party? why did it die out so quickly?