George III succeeded his grandfather, George II, in 1760 (Frederick, Prince of Wales, had died in 1751 having never ruled). George was determined to recover the prerogative lost to the ministerial council by the first two Georges; in the first two decades of the reign, he methodically weakened the Whig party through bribery, coercion and patronage. Prime Minister, William Pitt the Elder was toppled by Whigs after the Peace of Paris, and men of mediocre talent and servile minds were hand-picked by George as Cabinet members, acting as little more than yes-men. Bouts with madness and the way he handled the American Revolution< eroded his support and the power of the Crown was granted again to the Prime Minister.
The Peace of Paris (1763) ended the Seven Years' War with France, with the strenuous, anti-French policies of the elder Pitt emphasizing naval superiority in the colonial warfare. Great Britain emerged from the conflict as the world's greatest colonial power. England thrived under peacetime conditions, but George's commitment to taxing the American colonies to pay for military protection led to hostilities in 1775. The tax situation, coupled by a belief in the colonies that the Parliament was not listening to American concerns, lead to Revolution. The colonists proclaimed independence in 1776, but George obstinately continued the war until the final American victory at Yorktown in 1781. The Peace of Versailles, signed in 1783, ensured British acknowledgment of the United States of America.
The Peace of Paris (1763) ended the Seven Years' War with France, with the strenuous, anti-French policies of the elder Pitt emphasizing naval superiority in the colonial warfare. Great Britain emerged from the conflict as the world's greatest colonial power. England thrived under peacetime conditions, but George's commitment to taxing the American colonies to pay for military protection led to hostilities in 1775. The tax situation, coupled by a belief in the colonies that the Parliament was not listening to American concerns, lead to Revolution. The colonists proclaimed independence in 1776, but George obstinately continued the war until the final American victory at Yorktown in 1781. The Peace of Versailles, signed in 1783, ensured British acknowledgment of the United States of America.
- Where I got this information ( http://www.britannia.com/history/monarchs/mon55.html )
He participated in an outcry against Writs of Assistance. Adams became a prominent public figure in his activities against the Stamp Act, in response to which he wrote and published a popular article, Essay on the Canon and Feudal Law. He was married on Oct. 25, 1764 and moved to Boston, assuming a prominent position in the patriot movement.
He was elected to the Massachusetts Assembly in 1770, and was chosen one of five to represent the colony at the First Continental Congress in 1774.Again in the Continental Congress, in 1775, he nominated Washington to be commander-in-chief on the colonial armies. Adams was a very active member of congress, he was engaged by as many as ninety committees and chaired twenty-five during the second Continental Congress. In May of 1776, he offered a resolution that amounted to a declaration of independence from Gr. Britain. He was shortly thereafter a fierce advocate for the Declaration drafted by Thos. Jefferson.
Congress then appointed him ambassador to France, to replace Silas Dean at the French court. He returned from those duties in 1779 and participated in the framing of a state constitution for Massachusetts, where he was further appointed Minister plenipotentiary to negotiate a peace, and form a commercial treaty, with Gr. Britain. In 1781 he participated with Franklin, Jay and Laurens, in development of the Treaty of Peace with Gr. Britain and was a signer of that treaty, which ended the Revolutionary War, in 1783. He was elected Vice President of the United States under Geo. Washington in 1789, and was elected President in 1796. Adams was a Federalist and this made him an arch-rival of Thos. Jefferson and his Republican party. The discord between Adams and Jefferson surfaced many times during Adams' (and, later, Jefferson's) presidency. This was not a mere party contest. The struggle was over the nature of the office and on the limits of Federal power over the state governments and individual citizens. Adams retired from office at the end of his term in 1801. He was elected President of a convention to reform the constitution of Massachusetts in 1824, but declined the honor due to failing health.
He was elected to the Massachusetts Assembly in 1770, and was chosen one of five to represent the colony at the First Continental Congress in 1774.Again in the Continental Congress, in 1775, he nominated Washington to be commander-in-chief on the colonial armies. Adams was a very active member of congress, he was engaged by as many as ninety committees and chaired twenty-five during the second Continental Congress. In May of 1776, he offered a resolution that amounted to a declaration of independence from Gr. Britain. He was shortly thereafter a fierce advocate for the Declaration drafted by Thos. Jefferson.
Congress then appointed him ambassador to France, to replace Silas Dean at the French court. He returned from those duties in 1779 and participated in the framing of a state constitution for Massachusetts, where he was further appointed Minister plenipotentiary to negotiate a peace, and form a commercial treaty, with Gr. Britain. In 1781 he participated with Franklin, Jay and Laurens, in development of the Treaty of Peace with Gr. Britain and was a signer of that treaty, which ended the Revolutionary War, in 1783. He was elected Vice President of the United States under Geo. Washington in 1789, and was elected President in 1796. Adams was a Federalist and this made him an arch-rival of Thos. Jefferson and his Republican party. The discord between Adams and Jefferson surfaced many times during Adams' (and, later, Jefferson's) presidency. This was not a mere party contest. The struggle was over the nature of the office and on the limits of Federal power over the state governments and individual citizens. Adams retired from office at the end of his term in 1801. He was elected President of a convention to reform the constitution of Massachusetts in 1824, but declined the honor due to failing health.
- Where I got this informaition ( http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/signers/adams_j.htm )
John Adams was an important man before the Revolution and during the Revolutionary War. He was a member of the Continental Congress, the group that was drafting the laws to run the United States when it became independent. Abigail Adams wanted the new government to protect and increase women's rights.
Abigail Adams was very concerned and interested in what happened in the colonies. Abigail Adams and John Adams wrote many letters to each other. They often began, "Dearest friend." One letter that began this way was the letter that Abigail Adams wrote to her husband about their friend Dr. Joseph Warren after she learned that Dr. Warren had been killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill. After the Revolutionary War ended, John Adams became the country's first vice president and then its second president. During that time, Abigail always supported her husband in his policies.
Abigail wrote to John when he was in Philadelphia with the Continental Congress, "I long to hear that you have declared an independency &endash; and by the way in the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands. Remember, men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice, or Representation." John Adams never took Abigail's plea seriously. The Continental Congress did not pass any laws to "remember the ladies." Women could not vote in the new country.
Abigail Adams was very concerned and interested in what happened in the colonies. Abigail Adams and John Adams wrote many letters to each other. They often began, "Dearest friend." One letter that began this way was the letter that Abigail Adams wrote to her husband about their friend Dr. Joseph Warren after she learned that Dr. Warren had been killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill. After the Revolutionary War ended, John Adams became the country's first vice president and then its second president. During that time, Abigail always supported her husband in his policies.
Abigail wrote to John when he was in Philadelphia with the Continental Congress, "I long to hear that you have declared an independency &endash; and by the way in the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands. Remember, men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice, or Representation." John Adams never took Abigail's plea seriously. The Continental Congress did not pass any laws to "remember the ladies." Women could not vote in the new country.
- Where I got this information ( http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312848/aadams.htm )
Following lengthy experience in Boston town affairs, he rose to prominence in theMassachusetts assembly during the opposition to theStamp Act in 1765. An organizer of Boston's Sons of Liberty, he played a key role from 1765 until the end of the War of Independence in Patriot opposition to what Adams believed was a British plot to destroy constitutional liberty.
Adams's contributions to the independence movement were many and varied. During the 1760s and 1770s he frequently wrote polemical articles for the Boston newspapers, and he recruited talented younger men--Josiah Quincy, Joseph Warren, and his second cousinJohn Adams, among others--into the Patriot cause. It was Samuel Adams who conceived of the Boston Committee of Correspondence and took a leading role in its formation and operations from 1772 through 1774. He was among those who planned and coordinated Boston's resistance to the Tea Act, which climaxed in the famous Tea Party, and he later worked for the creation of the Continental Congress, helping propel it into supporting Massachusetts in the crisis.
From 1774 through 1781 Adams represented Massachusetts in the Continental Congress, where his industry, stamina, realism, and commitment made him one of the handful of "workhorses" who served year in and year out on numerous committees. Although Adams's influence in state and national affairs waned during the 1780s, he was elected to the Massachusetts convention on the ratification of the Constitution, which he was ultimately persuaded to support even though it contradicted some Whig principles. But, as in the past, he remained wary of centralized governmental power and never became part of the Federalists, the dominant party in Massachusetts.
After serving as John Hancock's lieutenant governor from 1789 to 1793, Adams succeeded to the governorship at Hancock's death. Although he opposed Jay's Treaty with England in 1795, he was thrice reelected before infirmity led him to retire in 1797. Three years later, when Thomas Jefferson was elected to the presidency over his cousin John, Samuel congratulated the Virginian on the triumph of democratic republicanism. Samuel Adams was a revolutionary of great self-discipline and patience.
Adams's contributions to the independence movement were many and varied. During the 1760s and 1770s he frequently wrote polemical articles for the Boston newspapers, and he recruited talented younger men--Josiah Quincy, Joseph Warren, and his second cousinJohn Adams, among others--into the Patriot cause. It was Samuel Adams who conceived of the Boston Committee of Correspondence and took a leading role in its formation and operations from 1772 through 1774. He was among those who planned and coordinated Boston's resistance to the Tea Act, which climaxed in the famous Tea Party, and he later worked for the creation of the Continental Congress, helping propel it into supporting Massachusetts in the crisis.
From 1774 through 1781 Adams represented Massachusetts in the Continental Congress, where his industry, stamina, realism, and commitment made him one of the handful of "workhorses" who served year in and year out on numerous committees. Although Adams's influence in state and national affairs waned during the 1780s, he was elected to the Massachusetts convention on the ratification of the Constitution, which he was ultimately persuaded to support even though it contradicted some Whig principles. But, as in the past, he remained wary of centralized governmental power and never became part of the Federalists, the dominant party in Massachusetts.
After serving as John Hancock's lieutenant governor from 1789 to 1793, Adams succeeded to the governorship at Hancock's death. Although he opposed Jay's Treaty with England in 1795, he was thrice reelected before infirmity led him to retire in 1797. Three years later, when Thomas Jefferson was elected to the presidency over his cousin John, Samuel congratulated the Virginian on the triumph of democratic republicanism. Samuel Adams was a revolutionary of great self-discipline and patience.
- Where I got this information ( http://www.history.com/topics/samuel-adams )
In 1765, James Warren was elected to Massachusetts House of Representatives. Their son George was born a year later, in 1766. Between March 26 and April 23, 1772, selections from The Adulateur, written by Mercy Otis Warren, appeared in The Massachusetts Spy. Mercy Otis Warren wrote to her friend Abigail Adams about being treated as inferior because they were women.
Mercy Otis Warren continued to write and publish, and in 1790, her collection of Poems: Dramatic and Miscellaneous was published in Boston. In 1805, her History of the... American Revolution was published in Boston. From July through August,1807, ten letters from John Adams and six letters from Mercy were published concerning her treatment of him in the history book. This book contained sharp comments about John Adams. That's why there was a separation of friendship with the Adamses that lasted until 1812.
Two of her plays insulted the Loyalists.
She said that Britain's laws and taxes were unfair and that families in the colonies couldn't pay for expensive British goods. She also said that Britain was too far away to understand the colonists' rights and needs. For this reason alone, the colonists would be better off alone with their own independence and freedom. She did not like the fact that Britain would not let women participate in politics. She strongly believed that women would have more rights if the colonies had their independence. Mercy also believed that women should have the right to vote.
Her plays included:
The Adulateur, a five-act play, published in 1773
The Defeat, excerpts from a play, published 1773
The Group, a three-act play, published in 1775
The Blockheads, a three-act play, published in 1776, shortly after the British withdrew from Boston
The Motley Assembly, a farce, published in 1779.
Mercy Otis Warren continued to write and publish, and in 1790, her collection of Poems: Dramatic and Miscellaneous was published in Boston. In 1805, her History of the... American Revolution was published in Boston. From July through August,1807, ten letters from John Adams and six letters from Mercy were published concerning her treatment of him in the history book. This book contained sharp comments about John Adams. That's why there was a separation of friendship with the Adamses that lasted until 1812.
Two of her plays insulted the Loyalists.
She said that Britain's laws and taxes were unfair and that families in the colonies couldn't pay for expensive British goods. She also said that Britain was too far away to understand the colonists' rights and needs. For this reason alone, the colonists would be better off alone with their own independence and freedom. She did not like the fact that Britain would not let women participate in politics. She strongly believed that women would have more rights if the colonies had their independence. Mercy also believed that women should have the right to vote.
Her plays included:
The Adulateur, a five-act play, published in 1773
The Defeat, excerpts from a play, published 1773
The Group, a three-act play, published in 1775
The Blockheads, a three-act play, published in 1776, shortly after the British withdrew from Boston
The Motley Assembly, a farce, published in 1779.
- Where I got this information ( http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312848/mowarren.htm )
In addition to his civic service, Wentworth was also a patriot leader. In fact, the town selected him as the messenger for the Committee of Safety – the central nervous system of the American Revolution that carried intelligence and messages back and forth between strategic operational centers. Serving in that position, Wentworth undertook the same task as Paul Revere, making an all-night ride to warn citizens of imminent British invasion.
In April 1776, he signed a document in which he pledged, “at the risk of . . . live and fortune,” to take up arms to resist the British, and in September 1777, he enlisted in a company of Light Horse Volunteers commanded by Colonel John Langdon (Langdon later became one of the 55 Founding Fathers who drafted the U. S. Constitution, then a framer of the Bill of Rights, and later the New Hampshire governor). Langdon’s company made a 250-mile march to Saratoga, New York, to join with the Continental Army under General Horatio Gates to defeat British General Burgoyne at the Battle of Saratoga – the first major American victory in the Revolution. After returning from Saratoga, in the spring of 1778, Wentworth was elected to the convention to draft the state’s first constitution, but some unknown event prevented his attendance.
Wentworth also served as Newmarket’s unofficial historian, copying town records from 1727 (including the records of various church meetings) and chronicling old stories of the town as well as its current events. Additionally, having investigated and made extensive notes on numerous artifacts and relics he discovered in the region around Newmarket, he is considered the state’s first archeologist. Therefore, when the Rev. Jeremy Belknap published his famous three-volumeHistory of New Hampshire (1784-1792), he relied on (and openly acknowledged) much information he gleaned from Wentworth.
In April 1776, he signed a document in which he pledged, “at the risk of . . . live and fortune,” to take up arms to resist the British, and in September 1777, he enlisted in a company of Light Horse Volunteers commanded by Colonel John Langdon (Langdon later became one of the 55 Founding Fathers who drafted the U. S. Constitution, then a framer of the Bill of Rights, and later the New Hampshire governor). Langdon’s company made a 250-mile march to Saratoga, New York, to join with the Continental Army under General Horatio Gates to defeat British General Burgoyne at the Battle of Saratoga – the first major American victory in the Revolution. After returning from Saratoga, in the spring of 1778, Wentworth was elected to the convention to draft the state’s first constitution, but some unknown event prevented his attendance.
Wentworth also served as Newmarket’s unofficial historian, copying town records from 1727 (including the records of various church meetings) and chronicling old stories of the town as well as its current events. Additionally, having investigated and made extensive notes on numerous artifacts and relics he discovered in the region around Newmarket, he is considered the state’s first archeologist. Therefore, when the Rev. Jeremy Belknap published his famous three-volumeHistory of New Hampshire (1784-1792), he relied on (and openly acknowledged) much information he gleaned from Wentworth.
- Where I got this information ( http://www.wallbuilders.com/libissuesarticles.asp?id=20990 )
James Armistead volunteered to join the U.S. Army in order to fight for the American Revolution. His master granted him permission to join the revolutionary cause, and the American Continental Army stationed Armistead to serve under the Marquis de Lafayette, the commander of allied French forces.
Lafayette employed Armistead as a spy, with the hopes of gathering intelligence in regards to enemy movements. Posing as a runaway slave hired by the British to spy on the Americans, Armistead successfully infiltrated British General Charles Cornwallis' headquarters. He later returned north with turncoat soldier Benedict Arnold, and learned further details of British operations without being detected. Able to travel freely between both British and American camps, Armistead could easily relay information to Lafayette about British plans.
Using the details of Armistead's reports, Lafayette and GeneralGeorge Washington were able to prevent the British from sending 10,000 reinforcements to Yorktown, Virginia. The American and French blockade surprised British forces and crippled their military. As a result of the Lafayette and Washington's victory in Yorktown, the British officially surrendered on Oct. 19, 1781.
Lafayette employed Armistead as a spy, with the hopes of gathering intelligence in regards to enemy movements. Posing as a runaway slave hired by the British to spy on the Americans, Armistead successfully infiltrated British General Charles Cornwallis' headquarters. He later returned north with turncoat soldier Benedict Arnold, and learned further details of British operations without being detected. Able to travel freely between both British and American camps, Armistead could easily relay information to Lafayette about British plans.
Using the details of Armistead's reports, Lafayette and GeneralGeorge Washington were able to prevent the British from sending 10,000 reinforcements to Yorktown, Virginia. The American and French blockade surprised British forces and crippled their military. As a result of the Lafayette and Washington's victory in Yorktown, the British officially surrendered on Oct. 19, 1781.
- Where I got this information ( http://www.biography.com/people/james-armistead-537566 )
Benjamin Franklin also helped the colonists. First Franklin helped stop the Stamp Act by telling the British that the Americans would never pay the taxes. Later he joined the Continental Congress to decide what to do about war with England. In 1776, he helped write the Declaration of Independence. The British had sent prisoners to the colonies. Franklin wrote in his newspaper, The Pennsylvania Gazette, that the colonies should send rattlesnakes to Britain. Benjamin Franklin drew this cartoon in May, 1754, at the beginning of the war with France. He put it in his newspaper.
As Colonists moved closer to fighting against Great Britain, Franklin's snake cartoon was used as symbol of American unity and American independence. In 1774, Paul Revere added it to the top of The Massachusetts Spy and showed the snake fighting a British dragon.
During the American Revolution, he convinced the French to help the Americans. Franklin told the French that if the Redcoats won the war that the British would be too powerful. The French and British were enemies, so having Great Britain be this powerful would be bad for the French. The French sent supplies to the colonists through Franklin and his spies. Franklin became popular in France once the colonists won the war.
Franklin helped write the Constitution of the United States, which were the laws for the new country, and he signed four of the most important documents in the new country's history. These were the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Treaty of Alliance with France, and the Treaty of Paris, 1783. Benjamin Franklin did amazing things to help get the new country going.
As Colonists moved closer to fighting against Great Britain, Franklin's snake cartoon was used as symbol of American unity and American independence. In 1774, Paul Revere added it to the top of The Massachusetts Spy and showed the snake fighting a British dragon.
During the American Revolution, he convinced the French to help the Americans. Franklin told the French that if the Redcoats won the war that the British would be too powerful. The French and British were enemies, so having Great Britain be this powerful would be bad for the French. The French sent supplies to the colonists through Franklin and his spies. Franklin became popular in France once the colonists won the war.
Franklin helped write the Constitution of the United States, which were the laws for the new country, and he signed four of the most important documents in the new country's history. These were the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Treaty of Alliance with France, and the Treaty of Paris, 1783. Benjamin Franklin did amazing things to help get the new country going.
- Where I got this information ( http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312848/bfranklin.htm )
In the early years of the Revolution, Galvez provided aid to the American cause by allowing tons of supplies to be shipped up the Mississippi to patriot forces in the north. With Spain's official entry into the war in 1779, Galvez raised a patchwork army of Creoles, Indians, free African Americans and his own Spanish regulars and marched on British-held forts at Baton Rouge and Natchez. A year later, he engaged the British at Mobile, and a year after that at Pensacola, in western Florida. In each case, Galvez was able to force the British from their entrenchments.
These victories diluted British strength in the south when Great Britain needed it most—just as it was bringing the campaign into the southern colonies.
For his heroics, Galvez was memorialized in Texas, where the city of Galveston honors him with its name.
Where I got this information ( http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/popup_degalvez.html )
These victories diluted British strength in the south when Great Britain needed it most—just as it was bringing the campaign into the southern colonies.
For his heroics, Galvez was memorialized in Texas, where the city of Galveston honors him with its name.
Where I got this information ( http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/popup_degalvez.html )
As British control over the colonies tightened, tensions escalated between the colonists and British soldiers. Attucks was one of those directly affected by the worsening situation. Seamen like Attucks constantly lived with the threat they could be forced into the British navy, while back on land, British soldiers regularly took part-time work away from colonists.
On March 5, 1770, a Friday, a fight erupted between a group of Boston ropemakers and three British soldiers. Tensions were ratcheted up further three nights later when a British soldier looking for work entered a Boston pub, only to be greeted by a contingent of furious sailors, one of whom was Attucks.
The details regarding what followed have always been the source of debate, but that evening, a group of Bostonians approached a guard in front of the customs house and started taunting him. The situation quickly escalated. When a contingent of British redcoats came to the defense of their fellow soldier, more angry Bostonians joined the fracas, throwing snowballs and other items at the soldiers.
Attucks was one of those in the middle of the fight, and when the British opened fire he was the first of five men killed. His murder made him the first casualty of the American Revolution.
On March 5, 1770, a Friday, a fight erupted between a group of Boston ropemakers and three British soldiers. Tensions were ratcheted up further three nights later when a British soldier looking for work entered a Boston pub, only to be greeted by a contingent of furious sailors, one of whom was Attucks.
The details regarding what followed have always been the source of debate, but that evening, a group of Bostonians approached a guard in front of the customs house and started taunting him. The situation quickly escalated. When a contingent of British redcoats came to the defense of their fellow soldier, more angry Bostonians joined the fracas, throwing snowballs and other items at the soldiers.
Attucks was one of those in the middle of the fight, and when the British opened fire he was the first of five men killed. His murder made him the first casualty of the American Revolution.
- where I got this information ( http://www.biography.com/people/crispus-attucks-9191864 )
When the war began, Salomon was operating as a financial broker in New York City. He seems to have been drawn early to the Patriot side and was arrested by the British as a spy in 1776. He was pardoned and used by the British as an interpreter with their German troops. Salomon, however, continued to help prisoners of the British escape and encouraged German soldiers to desert. Arrested again in 1778, he was sentenced to death, but managed to escape to the rebel capital of Philadelphia, where he resumed his career as a broker and dealer in securities. He soon became broker to the French consul and paymaster to French troops in America.
Salomon arrived in Philadelphia as the Continental Congress was struggling to raise money to support the war. Congress had no powers of direct taxation and had to rely on requests for money directed to the states, which were mostly refused. The government had no choice but to borrow money and was ultimately bailed out only by loans from the French and Dutch governments. Government finances were in a chaotic state in 1781 when Congress appointed former Congressman Robert Morris superintendent of finances. Morris established the Bank of North America and proceeded to finance the Yorktown campaign of Washington and Rochambeau. Morris relied on public-spirited financiers like Salomon to subscribe to the bank, find purchasers for government bills of exchange, and lend their own money to the government.
In 1941, the George Washington-Robert Morris-Haym Salomon Memorial was erected along Wacker Drive in downtown Chicago. The bronze and stone memorial was conceived by sculptor Lorado Taft and finished by his student, Leonard Crunelle. Although Salomon’s role in financing the Revolution has at times been exaggerated, his willingness to take financial risks for the Patriot cause helped establish the new nation.
Salomon arrived in Philadelphia as the Continental Congress was struggling to raise money to support the war. Congress had no powers of direct taxation and had to rely on requests for money directed to the states, which were mostly refused. The government had no choice but to borrow money and was ultimately bailed out only by loans from the French and Dutch governments. Government finances were in a chaotic state in 1781 when Congress appointed former Congressman Robert Morris superintendent of finances. Morris established the Bank of North America and proceeded to finance the Yorktown campaign of Washington and Rochambeau. Morris relied on public-spirited financiers like Salomon to subscribe to the bank, find purchasers for government bills of exchange, and lend their own money to the government.
In 1941, the George Washington-Robert Morris-Haym Salomon Memorial was erected along Wacker Drive in downtown Chicago. The bronze and stone memorial was conceived by sculptor Lorado Taft and finished by his student, Leonard Crunelle. Although Salomon’s role in financing the Revolution has at times been exaggerated, his willingness to take financial risks for the Patriot cause helped establish the new nation.
- Where I got this information from ( http://www.nps.gov/revwar/about_the_revolution/haym_salomom.html )
In 1764, Patrick Henry moved to Louisa County, Virginia. On May 30th, 1765, he went to protest against the Stamp Act at the Virginia House of Burgesses. This is where he first proposed his Virginia Stamp Act Resolutions. Five of the resolutions were passed. His Stamp Act Resolutions were some of the very first arguments in the American Revolution. He became one of the first radicals in the American Revolution.
In 1774, Patrick Henry represented Virginia in the First Continental Congress. The next year in March, 1775, he was strongly urging his fellow Virginians to arm themselves in self-defense against the British troops. During this time he said, "the distincitions between Virginia, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers, and New Englanders are no more. I AM NOT A VIRGINIAN, BUT AN AMERICAN! When he returned from the First Continental Congress, he led the militia to defend Virginia's gunpowder store from the British. Once Governor Lord Dunmore had taken gunpowder, and they made the Governor pay for the powder just like everyone else. One of the reasons that he was able to reason with the British Governor was because he was not just a patriot and a lawyer, but also an orator who is a person who speaks well in public.
n 1776, Patrick Henry was elected the Governor of Virginia. After his first term, he served for three more terms after that. He was also elected again in 1784. After the signing of the Constitution, he worked to have the first ten amendments added to the Constitution. In 1795, he was appointed Secretary of the State by President George Washington, but he had to decline the position. Then four years later he was appointed the official Envoy to France by President Samuel Adams, but unfortunately, he also had to decline this job due to health conditions.
In 1774, Patrick Henry represented Virginia in the First Continental Congress. The next year in March, 1775, he was strongly urging his fellow Virginians to arm themselves in self-defense against the British troops. During this time he said, "the distincitions between Virginia, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers, and New Englanders are no more. I AM NOT A VIRGINIAN, BUT AN AMERICAN! When he returned from the First Continental Congress, he led the militia to defend Virginia's gunpowder store from the British. Once Governor Lord Dunmore had taken gunpowder, and they made the Governor pay for the powder just like everyone else. One of the reasons that he was able to reason with the British Governor was because he was not just a patriot and a lawyer, but also an orator who is a person who speaks well in public.
n 1776, Patrick Henry was elected the Governor of Virginia. After his first term, he served for three more terms after that. He was also elected again in 1784. After the signing of the Constitution, he worked to have the first ten amendments added to the Constitution. In 1795, he was appointed Secretary of the State by President George Washington, but he had to decline the position. Then four years later he was appointed the official Envoy to France by President Samuel Adams, but unfortunately, he also had to decline this job due to health conditions.
- Where I got this information from ( http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312848/phenry.htm )
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), author of the Declaration of Independence and the third U.S. president, was a leading figure in America's early development. During the American Revolutionary War (1775-83), Jefferson served in the Virginia legislature and the Continental Congress and was governor of Virginia. He later served as U.S. minister to France and U.S. secretary of state, and was vice president under John Adams (1735-1826). Jefferson, who thought the national government should have a limited role in citizens' lives, was elected president in 1800. During his two terms in office (1801-1809), the U.S. purchased the Louisiana Territory and Lewis and Clark explored the vast new acquisition. Although Jefferson promoted individual liberty, he was also a slaveowner. After leaving office, he retired to his Virginia plantation, Monticello, and helped found the University of Virginia.
- This is where I got this information ( http://www.history.com/topics/thomas-jefferson )
When Lafayette learned of the struggle of the Americans in their endeavor to secure their independence he resolved to come to the colonies to aid them in their efforts as a volunteer. He also persuaded several French officers to come with him. Eventually he landed near Charleston, South Carolina, June 13, 1777, and when the leaders learned of his mission they welcomed him very hospitably. Later in the summer he came to Philadelphia and the Congress welcomed him as he came to serve without pay and also as a volunteer. Since he represented the highest rank of French nobility and his motives were so patriotic in the American cause, the Congress commissioned him a Major General on the 31st of July. Later in the summer he met General Washington and a friendship developed between the two men which lasted as long as Washington lived. He was not even 20 years old! During Lafayette's life he never forgot the great American. Lafayette was a member of Washington's staff and during the Battle of the Brandywine, Lafayette participated in the closing part of the battle when he was wounded. Later in the autumn he rejoined the American forces since he had recovered from his wound.
In December, 1777, he went with Washington and the army into winter quarters at Valley Forge. In the early days of the camp several officers were interested in trying to have a sentiment developed against Washington to have Congress relieve him of the command of the Continental armies (Conway Cabal). However, they were unable to gain the support they expected. They tried to secure the cooperation of Lafayette, but failed. In order to explain the situation he wrote a long letter to Washington in which he pledged his loyalty to the General. Washington replied to Lafayette in a letter which was marked by his sincere appreciation. In due course the proposed scheme of the few officers failed as it was doomed to failure from the beginning. The soldiers and officers at Valley Forge were very loyal to Washington, and the members of Congress realized that Washington was an unusual leader, which some of the Congressmen had not taken into consideration.
In December, 1777, he went with Washington and the army into winter quarters at Valley Forge. In the early days of the camp several officers were interested in trying to have a sentiment developed against Washington to have Congress relieve him of the command of the Continental armies (Conway Cabal). However, they were unable to gain the support they expected. They tried to secure the cooperation of Lafayette, but failed. In order to explain the situation he wrote a long letter to Washington in which he pledged his loyalty to the General. Washington replied to Lafayette in a letter which was marked by his sincere appreciation. In due course the proposed scheme of the few officers failed as it was doomed to failure from the beginning. The soldiers and officers at Valley Forge were very loyal to Washington, and the members of Congress realized that Washington was an unusual leader, which some of the Congressmen had not taken into consideration.
- Where I got this information from ( http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/served/lafayette.html )