Thomas Jefferson

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Many men dedicated the whole of their lives to the cause of the United States of America. They wanted to see a unified state, a country where men and women could live and move freely, and even though it took countless years of hard work and devotion to bring this dream in to the real world, their actions resulted in putting the country on the right track. One of these men was Thomas Jefferson. Born on the 2nd of April in 1743, he lived up till the 4th of July 1826. In addition to being the 3rd President of the United States of America, he was also the 2nd Vice President of the United States, the 1st United States Secretary of State, the 2nd Governor of Virginia and also the holder of numerous other titles.

He was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, the document which changed the future of all Americans, and put the country on the world map. Apart from this, Thomas Jefferson also played an instrumental role (while as President) in the purchase of the Louisiana Territory from the French in 1803. In the subsequent year, he set up the Lewis and Clark Expedition in order to explore the vast territory that he had purchased. For two terms, Thomas Jefferson held the office, and during this time, the whole size of the United States virtually doubled. His second term was certainly not as successful as the first one; it was beset with a number of different troubles at home, none more so than the failed treason trial of the former Vice President Aaron Burr.

Secondly, as the British began to threaten the American shipping industry due to the neutrality of the United States against the war of the British with the French, Jefferson resorted to economic warfare, by setting up embargoes. Unfortunately, it only ended up damaging trade within the country itself. Jefferson was also notable for drafting and signing a bill that banned the importation of slaves within the United States. Thomas Jefferson was a polymath in arts, sciences as well as politics.

Thomas Jefferson was also an architect, and was the designer of his own mansion, the Monticello, which was set up on a 5,000 acre plantation and situated near the town of Charlottesville, Virginia. Thomas Jefferson also designed the original buildings of the University of Virginia. Jefferson was also the President of the American Philosophical Society. Throughout his life, Thomas Jefferson was opposed to slavery, however, he owned hundreds of slaves himself and only ever freed a handful of them. Thomas Jefferson was a man who made countless contributions to the cause of the United States of America, at a time when the country required as much help as it could get from great and enlightened men, and despite the many flaws that historians point to in his character, it is unlikely that the country could have been what it is today had it not been for the devotion and ingenuity of this man.

The Civil War

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The Civil War of America was perhaps one of the most defining wars to have ever been fought on these lands. Not only did it change the future of the African Americans that resided within the country, but it also brought about much deeper repercussions. At the time when the country had been created and the Declaration of Independence had been signed and the Constitution had been drafted and put in to place, many people were flustered. The Constitution of the United States declared that all men are created equal. If that was the case, why were African Americans bought and sold on the markets? Why were their families broken up and treated inhumanely in most cases, just for the purpose of being treated like animals on a farm? Why weren’t the African Americans given the right to vote? Were they regarded as men?

In order to circumvent all of these questions, a great number of the white citizens, especially those that resided in the South, declared that the African Americans were not human at all, but in fact, were subhuman. Until 1787, the African American population of America was not even counted in the censuses that took place, and even afterwards, only three- fifths of all the population of the African Americans within a given area would be counted. While the primary causes of the Civil War, or rather the War over State’s Rights, can be regarded as much more than just focused on slavery, the primary result that everyone was looking for was the sustenance or the abolition of slavery from the country, and this was what all of the politicians fought for, some against, some in favor.

There has not been another time when the nation was so massively polarized over a single matter. Perhaps fighting over these two divided opinions was the best possible way to resolve matters; a compromise was unlikely to last a longer period of time, especially not forever. A great number of experts on the war were quick to call this the first ever ‘modern war’. This wasn’t due to the Gatling gun that was put to use for the first time, but primarily due to the Minie ball and the musket rifling. The death toll? 600,000 Americans lost their lives in the Civil War. It was as bloody and as gruesome as they come. No American, since that day, has seen such tragedies on such a massive scale. A great number of the common soldiers that fought the war were only there for the money, as well as the promise of three square meals per day.

This was a proper job, they thought, and the promise of adventure was rivaled with the prospect of death or injury. By the time that the Civil War came to its end, Richmond had been leveled due to the excessive bombing, Atlanta had been burned to a crisp by the then General Sherman, and the President of the United States had been killed. At the end, however, slavery was outlawed of any kind, achieving the wish of President Lincoln.

George Washington

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Activities of George Washington, President of USA,  Lesson for Kids

George Washington was the first President of the United States of America. Born on the 11th of February in 1731, he lived up till 67 years of age, dying on the 14th of December in 1799. However, apart from being the first President of the United States, George Washington also has a number of other credits to his name; he was the Commander in Chief of the Continental Army during the famous Revolutionary War of America, and perhaps the biggest credit to his name is the fact that he was one of the founding fathers of the United States of America. George Washington was one of the presiding figures over the convention that was put in charge of drafting the Constitution of the United States, which substituted the Articles of Confederation and to this day, remains the supreme law of the land.

George Washington was born in to one of the rich families, or the provincial gentry as it was called at the time, in Colonial Virginia. His family was wealthy enough; they owned plantations of tobacco as well as hundreds of slaves, all of whom were inherited by Washington himself. Throughout his lifetime, George Washington owned hundreds of slaves, however with the passage of time, his views of slavery began to evolve, and his desire to free the slaves and abolish slavery altogether began to increase. Mr. Washington was very young when his father, as well as his older brother, died. After their death, Washington became quite attached to the powerful and influential William Fairfax, who furthered Washington’s career as a soldier, as well as a surveyor. During the first phases of the Indo- French War, George Washington rose through the ranks to quickly gain the position of a senior officer.

He was chosen in 1775 to be the commander in chief of the Continental Army, and his heroics led him to victory in Boston, where the Continental Army managed to drive out the British in 1776. He was defeated a year later, and was almost captured as the British gained control of New York City. However, George Washington was a resolute man. He was not going to give up. With his army, they crossed the Delaware River in the dead of winter, and managed to defeat the British in a couple of defining battles, which led to the reclamation of New Jersey, and also provided much needed momentum to the cause of the Patriots.

His strategies also led to the capture of Saratoga and Yorktown in 1777 and 1781 respectively. Washington held belief of a great nation that would be setup on republican lines using federal power. Throughout history, George Washington has been ranked as one of the top three presidents to have ever ruled the nation, and perhaps the Washington Monument shows the amount of dedication and devotion which he committed to the cause of the United States of America. George Washington’s heroics made America, which was once a dream, a reality for millions of people, and made it the great nation that it is today.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

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One of the most influential presidents to have ever lived, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born on the 30th of January 1882, and died on the 12th of April in 1945. Known to many by his initials FDR, Roosevelt took office as the 32nd President of the United States on the 4th of March in 1933, and continued up till the 12th of April 1945. He was elected four times as a Democrat, and perhaps will forever be remembered as the man who led the United States out of the Great Depression, and also managed to seal significant victories for the country at a time when the world was at war.

It was in 1932, when elections were held at the time of the Great Depression; the whole country was suffering significantly, and the two contestants who were trying to gain the support of the public were Herbert Hoover (31st President of the United States) and Franklin Roosevelt. Roosevelt, with his campaign theme song being ‘Happy Days are Here Again’, managed to defeat the Republican Herbert Hoover at a time when the whole country was suffering from the devastating effects of Depression. Franklin D. Roosevelt suffered from polio, and he had managed to overcome it on a personal level, which gave him belief and optimism that he wished to channel amongst the people of America. This led to a complete renewal of the national spirit, as more and more people began to harbor hope that the government would help them.

Under the power of Roosevelt, it did. In only his first hundred days in office, Roosevelt began the tip of the spear which we will call the government, and brought about numerous legislations that were aimed at providing relief to the people. Providing jobs to the unemployed, bringing about economic growth and overseeing reform throughout the country were all a part of the New Deal that he instituted. It was under his governance that the country was able to move out of the Great Depression.

By 1938, it was all but clear that war was looming. FDR rendered strong support to Britain and China, while America stayed neutral. Neutrality turned in to an all- out declaration of war against the Axis powers on the 7th of December, 1941, when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. FDR was a very active military leader, and he created an overall war strategy, while working in tandem with Joseph Stalin (the Soviet Leader) and Winston Churchill (the Prime Minister of Great Britain) in order to defeat the Axis powers on all fronts. He was also the leader who ordered the development of world’s first ever Nuclear bomb.

His plans succeeded as unemployment went down to 2% and industries came to life as millions of people got down to work. Throughout the war, all economic sectors registered growth.  Throughout his twelve years of service, Roosevelt dominated the political sector of America, and his policies continued to have long lasting effects decades after he had vacated the Office.

Benjamin Franklin

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Benjamin Franklin was born in 1705 on the 6th of January and lived up to the hearty old age of 85, dying on the 17th of April in 1790. Not only was he one of the greatest inventors that the world had ever seen, he was also an astute statesman, and has widely been regarded as the ‘First American’. A polymath that was known throughout the globe, Benjamin Franklin also held a number of other professions, or hobbies, per se. Here are a few:

  • Author
  • Printer
  • Politician
  • Political Theorist
  • Scientist
  • Inventor
  • Diplomat
  • Civic Activist
  • Postmaster

He made notable achievements in all of these fields. As a scientist, Benjamin Franklin made a number of contributions and was one of the major proponents of the American Enlightenment as well as the history of physics, mainly for the discoveries and theories that he made in relation to electricity. In his capacity as an inventor, Benjamin Franklin is attributed for the invention of the lightning rod, the bifocal glasses as well as the Franklin stove, among numerous other inventions. Benjamin Franklin also facilitated a number of different civic organizations as a civic activist, such as the fire department of Philadelphia and a university.

The reason why Benjamin Franklin is regarded by many as the ‘First American’ is because of the fact that he was one of the most vocal supporters for the unitization of the colonies, and his indefatigable campaigning finally bore fruit later on. After the American Revolutionary War was won, Benjamin Franklin was also the first United States Ambassador to France. Hailing from a working class family, Benjamin Franklin was very proud of his roods, and he became a successful editor and printer of a newspaper in Philadelphia, which was the leading city of the colonies at the time. Along with a couple of partners, he also set up the Pennsylvania Chronicle, a newspaper that became a leading voice of the growing resentment amongst the colonies of the British as well as the criticisms that were aimed at the British Empire.

By his publications, The Pennsylvania Gazette and the Poor Richard’s Almanack, Benjamin Franklin acquired decent wealth. He was also the first President of the American Philosophical Society. He spent a great deal of his life as the British postmaster to the colonies, which also resulted in his activity in community affairs, state and colonial politics, as well as international and national affairs. He also served as the governor Pennsylvania from 1785 to 1788. To this day, you can see Benjamin Franklin being honored; his face is on the $100 bill, his name is used as the names of many different towns and educational institutions, while there are numerous companies that have been formed on his name as well. Benjamin Franklin was described as a true “American hero” for his efforts to create this country, and then because of his hard work and devotion to the cause of education. Benjamin Franklin was a great man, and is remembered rightly so.

Apollo 11

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For every nation, there comes a time when they achieve a milestone. In the case of the United States of America, that milestone changed the future of the whole world. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration was created in 1958 on official levels, but before that, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics had existed since 1915. When President Eisenhower created NASA, he stated that the main focus would be to pursue peaceful applications in space science. Landing a man on the moon? That was on the agenda as well, but it was still a far-fetched thought at the time.

However, all those dreams and far- fetched thoughts turned in to reality on the 20th of July in 1969, when Apollo 11 became the first spacecraft, piloted by men, to land on the surface of the moon. Six hours later, Neil Armstrong, a name that is forever remembered in the history of America, made his first step on the surface of the moon. His iconic first line: ‘A small step for man, a giant leap for mankind’, still echo throughout the Agency’s history.

The launch took place after rigorous planning and preparations, and it was by no means an easy experience for all those who were concerned. The Soviet Union at the time was also building its own rockets to travel to the moon, and was rapidly engineering different ways by which they could carry, and safely bring back, men to and from the moon. The rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union was something that the whole world knew about, so it had become a matter of personal pride for the President at the time to ensure that America became the first nation to land on the moon.

On the 16th of July, 1969, at the Kennedy Space Center, the whole world stood in awe and amazement; millions watching from their television screens while thousands were present in person at the viewing fields to watch the Saturn V rocket take off. The rocket, which housed the lunar modules as well as the command and service module also provided sanctum to three astronauts; Neil Armstrong, the flight commander, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins.

For three days, the spaceship travelled, finally landing on the moon on the 20th of July. At the time when the spaceship landed, they were left with barely enough fuel to re- launch from the surface of the moon. The whole event was broadcast on live television, and it shook the hearts of even the coldest hearted people. There had been a number of tragedies leading up to this achievement; the fiery deaths of Roger Chaffee, Ed White and Virgil Grissom being the most prominent. Neil Armstrong’s words echoed over the airwaves as the Apollo 11 descended upon the surface of the moon, ‘We came in peace for all mankind.’ And the fact that America saw this through showcased everything that’s positive about the country; hard work, dedication, devotion, commitment to the cause and finally, achievement!

The American Revolution

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What we call the United States of America didn’t come about all on its own; it took many sacrifices, hard work and planning, not to mention a fight against all odds, in order to create this great nation. The majority of the war that resulted in the creation of this nation began from the 19th of April 1775 and went up till 1781. The British, at the time, considered the thirteen colonies to be nothing more than just another ‘outer area’ of the British Empire, which spread globally all over. King George wanted the major portion of all the wealth that was generated from the Colonies. However, the Founding Fathers of America did not agree with this opinion, and when 8 Minutemen were killed on the Lexington Green, the war well and truly began.

In one of the many Continental Congress meetings that were held in the subsequent year, Benjamin Franklin, having signed the Declaration of Independence, said ‘Now, gentlemen, if we don’t all hang together in this, we’ll all hang separately’. His words were true, and the people to whom he spoke these words were all aware that they were regarded as traitors to the Crown. Had the events of the war taken place in a different manner, they would all be strung up and hung with their broken necks for the world to see. America has to thank George Washington for such an event not happening. With his shrewd understanding of the war, as well as a great deal of help from the French (thank Napoleon for that!), George Washington was able to win the war.

George Washington lost a total of 6 major battles, and only managed to win 3. He proved that numbers don’t really matter however; the 3 victories that he won were defining enough to ensure that they were the ones that mattered at the end of the day. Washington’s arch nemesis was Charles Lord Cornwallis, who was often a bigger match than Washington could handle. However, with his tactical understanding of the war as well as friendships with the French, such as Gilbert Du Motier and the Marquis De Lafayette, was able to overpower Cornwallis. As Cornwallis signed the official surrender, The United States of America first became a nation all on its own.

The Articles of Confederation were removed, and in its place the Constitution of the United States was set up as the supreme law of the land. A decree was also established, which regarded all men as being equal. Many different states began to join the United States of America, and the American Revolution showed to the world that the might of the British could be unbroken through sheer resolve, dedication and devotion. The American Revolution was a result of the years of hard work, secret meetings and plan drafting that took place all across the different colonies, but it ensured that the people of these colonies were able to live a life of  their own, in a free country.

Abraham Lincoln

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When we talk about important figures in the history of America, the name Abraham Lincoln just has to be mentioned. One of the most popular people to have ever lived, Abraham Lincoln assumed office as the 16th President of the United States, and the milestones that he achieved in office were able to alter the course of the future of the country for many years to come. Born on the 12th of February in 1809, Lincoln died at the relatively early age of 56, on the 15th of April in 1865. However, in his comparatively short life span, he showed to the world that you only need a few years to bring about changes that would forever alter the lives of millions of people.

Born in to a poor family based on the western frontier Lincoln taught himself and became a lawyer, from whereon he then became state legislator and a leader of the Whig Party during the 1830s. He had also become a member of the Congress for the first time by the 1840s. Lincoln was a major promoter of rapid modernization of the economy with the means of banks, canals, tariffs and railroads and also encouraged the building of factories. Lincoln was also against the war that took place against Mexico in 1846.

However, he lost the US Senate to Stephen Douglas, who was his primary rival at the time. Regardless, he persisted on with his endeavors, and in 1860, he was elected as the President of the United States. By 1861, war had broken out between the Confederates and the Union, and at this point in time, Lincoln was focused upon reuniting the nation. Lincoln even managed to avert the intervention of the British as he managed to defuse the Trent Affair in the latter parts of 1861. By 1863, Lincoln was primarily focused upon abolishing slavery from the country, and he made numerous complex movies which resulted in the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, which allowed the use of the Army in order to protect the slaves, as well as promoted the states on the border to abolish slavery.

Lincoln was a highly astute politician, and faced massive opposition due to the power issues that existed in every state.  He reached out to the War Democrats (those who supported the North in its opposition of the South), and also took control of his own presidential re- election in 1864. Lincoln got right in the face of the Radical Republicans who wanted to get harsher treatment of the South, as well as the War Democrats who were looking for a compromise. He appealed directly to the people of America with his oratory powers, and was instrumental in the careful planning of political patronage. The Gettysburg Address, which he gave in 1863, became one of the most defining and iconic speeches of the dedication of the country to the principles of equal rights, nationalism, democracy, liberty, republicanism and nationalism. To this day, scholars regard Abraham Lincoln as one of the finest presidents of the United States.