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Thomas Jeffersons Contribution to the Constitution The purpose of this paper is to give a brief chronological accounting of the writing of the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson. A short description of the structure of the Declaration of Independence will be included. The process was relatively fast, from the formation of the committee. The committee consisted of two New England men, John Adams of Massachusetts and Roger Sherman of Connecticut; two men from the Middle Colonies, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania and Robert R. Livingston of New York; and one southerner, Thomas Jefferson of Virginia. In early June, the committee met as a whole and unanimously insisted that Jefferson draw up the declaration. Jefferson wrote that the other members of the committee "unanimously pressed on myself alone to undertake the draught. I consented; I drew it; but before I reported it to the committee I communicated it separately to Dr. Franklin and Mr. Adams requesting their corrections. . . I then wrote a fair copy, reported it to the committee, and from them, unaltered to the Congress." Jefferson's account reflects three stages in the life of the Declaration: the document originally written by Jefferson; the changes to that document made by Franklin and Adams, which resulted in the version that was submitted by the Committee of Five to the Congress; and the version that was eventually adopted. On July 1, 1776, Congress reconvened. The following day, the Lee Resolution for independence was adopted by 12 of the 13 colonies, New York not voting. Immediately afterward, the Congress began to consider the Declaration. Adams and Franklin had made only a few changes before the committee submitted the document. The discussion in Congress resulted in some alterations and deletions, but the basic document remained Jefferson's. The process of revision continued through all of July 3 and into the late afternoon of July 4. Then, at last, church bells including Paul Revere's bell, rang out over Philadelphia; the Declaration had been officially adopted. The Declaration of Independence is made up of five distinct parts: the introduction; the preamble; the body, which can be divided into two sections; and a conclusion. The introduction states that this document will "declare" the "causes" that have made it necessary for the American colonies to leave the B... ... middle of paper ... .... Because of his absence in Europe, Jefferson had no direct part in the framing or ratification of the Constitution of the United States. The most notable achievement of Jefferson's first term as President (1800) was the purchase in 1803 of Louisiana from France for 15 million dollars. (see Lewis and Clark). During his second term Jefferson encountered greater difficulties. One of the domestic problems was the Burr-Conspiracy, with the former vice president on trial for treason. Jefferson was succeeded as president in 1809 by James Madison. During the last 17 years of his life, Jefferson remained in Virginia. As the 'Sage of Monticello' he engaged in a rich correspondence with John Adams and others. Jefferson's last great public service was the founding of the University of Virginia in 1819. He died at Monticello on July 4, 1826 on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Bibliography: Eyler Robert Coates, Sr. Quotations from the writings of Thomas Jefferson (http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/jefferson/quotations/ 1995-2001) David Kennedy; Lizabeth Cohen, The American Pageant (New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2002), A31. David Kennedy; Lizabeth Cohen, A33
Thomas Jefferson, an educated, well respected career man, served as governor of Virginia, secretary of state, and president of the United States. The Revolutionary era, during the 1770's, proved to be one of America's most victorious times. Despite the casualties the American colonies suffered, they proved to be stronger than their ruling land, Britain, and won the right to be a free land, becoming the United States of America. Living through this difficult turning point in history inspired Jefferson to write "The Declaration of Independence." Once again, nearly two hundred years later, America faced yet another turning point in history.
Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence is one of the most famous influential documents ever produced. The declaration led to the freedom of the Thirteen Colonies which in turn sparked the independence of much of the Western Hemisphere. “When in the course of human events” and the following text are now some of the most recognizable words in all of historical documents.
Before then he was already a very influential man who had changed the lives of everyone living in America. His contributions made to this country are written in a list, there is no doubt he was strong. In 1803(table), Jefferson launched the Lewis and Clark expedition that would hopefully expand America Westward across the Pacific Ocean(Para.5). In the same year of 1803, The Louisiana Territory was purchased. Jefferson wanted America to grow, with his background, knowledge, and newly gained presidency, he did just
Thomas Jefferson was the third American President. Due to the fact that he was such an early President, he influenced our political system greatly, both in the short and long term with his seemingly quiet approach to congressional matters. During his presidency, many things happened that changed the United States as we know it. He coordinated the Louisiana Purchase, assisted in implementing the twelfth amendment, formed the character of the modern American President, and cut the U.S.’s war debt by a third. Jefferson came into office on March 4, 1801 and left office on March 4, 1809.
Set in the Northern Wei dynasty of China, the gender roles of China were simple as depicted through song in Mulan. “We all must serve our Emperor… a man by bearing arms, a girl by bearing sons.” Mulan’s one and only role in life is to marry a man, who she is deemed fit for and to bear many sons and tend to the home. She is to live a life of homely domesticity. This is perhaps one of the most obvious motifs that don’t shine a nice pretty light on Mulan. Mulan has to go to a beauty salon in order to meet the matchmaker and “bring honor” to her family. At the salon, Mulan is mercilessly soaked in a freezing bath, has her hair tied up neatly, her waist laced up, and is overloaded with excessive make-up and jewels. The potential brides, Mulan included, are thus made to look like “cultured pearls, each a perfect porcelain doll.” According to the beauty specialists, “A girl can bring her family great honor in one way, by striking a good match.” They preach that “Men want girls with good taste, calm, obedient, who work fast-paced, with good breeding and a tiny waist.” This demonstrates heg...
Jefferson’s role in the War for Independence is part of what makes him great, the amazing deeds that he accomplished after were extraordinary as well. According to ushistory.org, “In 1784 Jefferson went to France as an associate Diplomat with Franklin and Adams. It was in that year that wrote an article establishing the standard weights, measures, and currency units for the United States. He succeeded Franklin as Minister to France the following year. When he returned home in 1789, he joined the Continental Congress for a while, and was then appointed Secretary of State under George Washington.” In 1796, he ran for president of the United States however, he lost to his colleague John Adams. Although he was not successful in the preceding elections, on February 17, 1801 Thomas Jefferson was elected to be the third President of the United States as a part of the Democratic Republican Party. Mr. Jefferson believed in freedom of speech, religion, and assembly and made that a focal point in his presidency. He was an advocate for individual rights and protected them. In the amendments of the Constitution, Thomas Jefferson pushed for these concepts to be included. In 1803, the United States gained control of much of the land west of the Mississippi River from the Louisiana Purchase. Thomas Jefferson instructed Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the land that was obtained in the Louisiana Purchase. Even after his presidency, he continued to be involved in
On June 11th 1776 the Continental Congress tabbed five men who were given the task to write one of the most important documents in America’s history; The Declaration of Independence. During a time of immense diversity people living in the colonies of what was soon to be The United States of America were yearning for something that could place them under one large umbrella. This committee of five men consisted of John Adams from Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Robert R. Livingston of New York, Roger Sherman of Connecticut and of course Thomas Jefferson of Virginia. These five men made an impeccable team that together drafted the Declaration of Independence, the document that represents the ground of what American political
The title of the document explains exactly what is in the document itself. Before the Declaration was even written, “the Continental Congress met in Philadelphia with the intention of voting for independence from England” (“Writing the Declaration”). Congress had the idea of selecting a group of people (a committee) to write out a document stating that the colonies were going to separate away from Great Britain and form a new nation. “The committee, composed of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman, in turn instructed Thomas Jefferson to write the declaration” (“Writing the Declaration”). Thomas Jefferson began work on June 11th and was able to finish writing by June 28th (“Writing the Declaration”). Imagine trying write a document for independence, creating a new nation, in such little
However, the author 's interpretations of Jefferson 's decisions and their connection to modern politics are intriguing, to say the least. In 1774, Jefferson penned A Summary View of the Rights of British America and, later, in 1775, drafted the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms (Ellis 32-44). According to Ellis, the documents act as proof that Jefferson was insensitive to the constitutional complexities a Revolution held as his interpretation of otherwise important matters revolved around his “pattern of juvenile romanticism” (38). Evidently, the American colonies’ desire for independence from the mother country was a momentous decision that affected all thirteen colonies. However, in Ellis’ arguments, Thomas Jefferson’s writing at the time showed either his failure to acknowledge the severity of the situation or his disregard of the same. Accordingly, as written in the American Sphinx, Jefferson’s mannerisms in the first Continental Congress and Virginia evokes the picture of an adolescent instead of the thirty-year-old man he was at the time (Ellis 38). It is no wonder Ellis observes Thomas Jefferson as a founding father who was not only “wildly idealistic” but also possessed “extraordinary naivete” while advocating the notions of a Jeffersonian utopia that unrestrained
In “On the Psychology of Self-Deception” David Shapiro states there are two distinctions that describe self-deception: what one feels about something and what one imagines oneself to feel. Shapiro states one must use selective monitoring of oneself. He also questions how can the knowing deceiver be unknowingly deceived. Regular self-monitoring does not require understanding, instead its consists of a person’s individual character. Once one has doubt it is easy to turn what one believes into what one tells oneself they believe. In self-deception one must consider there is a loss of reality between what one tells oneself to be true. Shapiro explains that a loss is not absent in normal and in most psychopathology. Under certain conditions one’s
Overall, the Disney movie, Mulan, demonstrates gender roles, socialization of gender roles, and consequences of breaking the gender roles. By Mulan going to war for her father, in China, many things were at risk, life, honor, and the country of China, itself. Displaying the characteristics a man had was the only way for Mulan to survive, granted, she was not great at displaying woman characteristics in the first place. Being caught in war, as a woman, meant death, but Mulan was lucky for her bravery when saving Captain Li Shang, for he spared her life, which allowed Mulan to help save China and the emperor in the end. Even though China had very strict gender roles, Mulan broke them to save her father’s life and became the person she was meant to be.
Most people would say that social networking is a waste of time and that it cause lots of problems for people especially the young people. Some people think that social networking does not have any positive outcome on one’s life. Some people also say that social networking causes drama in real life and does not have a positive aspect in this society. All those things people said are stereotypes about social networking and people need stop putting a bad name on social networking. People underestimate what positivity things social networking can do for people lives. Social networking can be a good source of learning and can be helpful when using it for the right reasons. Social networking has changed the way young people communicate in society in many beneficial ways.
Self-deception has existed from the beginning of time and if you are religious, from the beginning of religion. It is a constant cycle that affects us all whether we realize it or not. Numerous studies have been done trying to discover the causes and effects of self-deception, the situations that make someone think they have to self-deceive, why deception even exists, etc. While there may never be one particular answer for any of these questions, I argue that we will never fully understand self-deception in other or as a topic itself, until we truly understand how and why we ourselves use self-deception.
On personal level, with respect to the authors’ ideas about self-deception, I cannot help but think of the Pharisees. In the bible, the Pharisees were a famous example of religious self-deception. Jesus was never happy with the Pharisees. They always viewed themselves as better than everyone. Jesus always confronted them saying, “On the outside you appear to people as righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness” (Matthew 23:28). Sometimes I wonder if I am deceiving myself. Let me explain, I am a Christian person. I believe in Jesus, go to church regularly, say my prayers, and pay my tithe. You can say I am pretty average Christian. Sometimes I look at people who do drugs or live wicked lives and condemn them for their actions. I find myself thinking in my heart how lucky am I that I am not like them as they are going to hell for sure. I even went to the lengths of cutting some interpersonal relationships with friends because they were not a Christians as I am. Sometimes, I even struggled making friendships with non-Christians which caused me problems on personal and work level. I come from Egypt, which is an Islamic country and as Christians we are considered minority. To deal with Muslim neighbors, coworkers, friends, was a challenge. They do not have the same beliefs and some of them tend to be radical which made it hard for me to work with. I choose to cut ties and not try to reach out just to avoid connections. Such thinking makes me feel that I am better than others, but that is very far from the truth. Yes, I do not do drugs or live a wicked life, but I still commit sins. My judgmental thoughts and self-deception is a sin itself. I stand in the church singing in the choir and give testimonials, but whom I really deceiving. The person I am presenting in the church is far from the sinful true me. I think they are the problem
The main idea is, why would have we evolved with the capacity to deceive ourselves, and alter our perceptions? Cognitive Psychologist David Smith reasons self-deception is vital to functioning. He stated, “our society would collapse under the weight of too much honesty” ( Donald M. Braxton, 2004). Most of our self-deception comes from us trying to feel better. In order to handle complete honesty without grief, remorse, or worry is a distraught to our mind. We assume that the human mind is under our control, however many cognitive psychologists have disproved this theory. Our brain works in an automatic manner, we may deceive ourselves into thinking we might be able to hand reality, however that is self deception in itself. It is the illusion of control, but our perceptions are altered