Founding Fathers, Joseph Ellis & Beyond
IB History of the Americas—Nation Building/Political Parties Review and Connections:
Warm Up Activity: Read, really read and share the quote on page 167 from Adams from a
letter he wrote to the very foxy (in many ways) Benjamin Rush: What did he mean? What
was he trying to tell Dr. Rush, and in a round about way, us, his posterity?
“The essence of the whole will be that Dr. Franklin’s electric rod smote the Earth and
out sprang General Washington. That Franklin electrified him with his rod and
thence forward these two conducted all the Policy, Negotiations, Legislatures and
war.”
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Founding Brothers Review, discussion and items that may really help you with the
midterm. If you are stuck, bored1, disengaged with this material please see me
ASAP. I will not be offended at all; I will admire your efficacy and desire to improve
your verbal reasoning skills.
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Thinking idea for your midterm exams . . . Let us dissect.
General Questions for the book—please feel free to add
1. In the conflict between Republicans & Federalists described by Ellis
throughout the book, readers can understand the origins of party
factionalism that is a strong factor in American politics to this day. If, as Ellis
writes, "The dominant intellectual legacy of the Revolution, enshrined in the
Declaration of Independence, stigmatized all concentrated political power
and even in its most virulent forms, depicted any energetic expression of
governmental authority as an alien force that all responsible citizens ought
to repudiate and, if possible, overthrow" (11).
a. What compromises were made in order to bring a stable national
government to fruition?
b. Does the apparent contradiction between Republican and
Federalist principles still create instability (or stability?) in the
American system?
2. Because of the founders' refusal to press for abolition, the slavery question
was bequeathed to Abraham Lincoln to solve—and the Civil War illustrated
just how divisive the issue was.
a. How accurate was George Washington's belief that "slavery was
a cancer on the body politic of America that could not at present
be removed without killing the patient,” (158)?
1 If this boredom is caused by “I-already-know-all-this,” syndrome—then please see me and I will provide you
with more engaging (the-FB-words-as-they-are) material. If this boredom is caused by “I have no idea what you
are talking about syndrome” then again, see me and I can help. If this boredom is caused by the “I-don’t-give-acrap-about-these-dead-white-guys” syndrome, then again, see me because I can convince you that although you
may not know give a crap about the policies of these DWGs, their legacies still influence your every day lives,
whether negatively or positively, and believe me, and that influence is not the same for all of us and we all better
start paying attention real soon to what’s going on because it just may not be all going on for all of us forever.
Cheers my Puppies.
b. Should the nation's leaders have pressed harder, given that "the
further one got from 1776, the lower the revolutionary fires
burned and the less imperative the logic of the revolutionary
ideology seemed, (104)?
c. What difference might it have made in the racial currents of
contemporary American life if slavery had been abolished in the
early days of the nation? Specific Discussion Questions Relating to Founding Brothers,
Chapter 5, “The Collaborators”
a.
According to Ellis, who were "the odd couple of the American Revolution?”
b. Why does Ellis use this term? How about other “Odd Couples: of the Revolution
c. What were the strengths and weaknesses of John Adams as a presidential
candidate?
d. A rift developed between Jefferson and Washington. What were the issues
surrounding the Rift?
e. How does the rift reflect a greater rift amongst the revolutionary generation
(especially Between Republicans and Federalists)? THINK MIDTERMS HERE
f.
What were Adams’s experiences as Vice President?
g. Was Thomas Jefferson truly Abigail and John Adams’ friend?
h. Why didn’t Jefferson join his friend Adams, once he got elected president, in
bipartisan cooperation? What were the issues holding him back?
i.
What were the issues that caused political, economic, diplomatic & social
problems of Adams’ presidency?
j.
How did Adams respond to the XYZ Affair?
k. Wow did Adams negotiate a diplomatic end to the Quasi-War with France?
l.
Why did he do it knowing I would alienate him from his own political party?
m. What was the primary function of the collaboration between Jefferson and
Madison?
n. What was their response to the Alien and Sedition Acts?
o. Who said, "However wise and scientific as a philosopher, as a politician he is a
child and the dupe of the party"? Who was he saying it about? What did he
mean? Was he justified in this assertion?
p. Who said, "He may be torn up by the roots. He may break. But he will never
bend”? Who was he saying it about? What does this mean? Is it a compliment?
A snide insult? Explain the reasons and the frame of mind the speaker was in in
order to say such a thing.
q. Quote from Ellis: "The great collaboration was destined to become the great
competition." Explain.
r.
Quote from Ellis: “The truly effective centers of power were located in two
political partnerships based on personal trust." Who were these partnerships?
Are there more? Can we define the “others” such as Ellis? Do you agree with
him that there were two dominate American political trusting partnerships of
the late eighteenth century?
Specific Discussion Questions Relating to Founding Brothers, Chapter 6, “The
Friendship”
1.
"I consider you and him as the North and South Poles of the American
Revolution.” Who said it to whom and whom was he refering to? What does it
try to tell us?
2. Contrast the final thoughts of Jefferson and Adams on the Revolution. Which one
does Ellis state is in our history books? Which vision of the American Revolution
does Ellis state that Adams would wish us to read?
3. Adams and Jefferson had conflicting visions of the American Revolution. How
can we explain these differing views? How would you teach another student
about their different, yet coherent ideas for the American future? How could
you explain to, let’s say and 8th grader, that they did indeed have big differences
in the perceptions of the new nation, yet they all continued building that nation
to the best of their abilities?
4. What was the significance of the “midnight judges”? Explain what this event
allegedly was and explain the other party’s response to it.
5. What were Jefferson’s misguided propositions about European affairs?
6. What does the correspondence between Adams and Jefferson reveal about their
different views of government? What is the evidence? {We probably will NOT
have time to discuss all of this—please remember thought that this material is
very useful for your midterm exam}