LAD #4 Federalist 10

1. Why are factions so difficult to eliminate?

Factions are extremely hard to eliminate. This is because the ways to remove a faction would be by either removing its causes or by controlling its effects. If the causes of the faction were removed; however, this would mean that the liberty of the faction would have to be removed. Or if there was a way to make everyone have the same political beliefs, then the faction could be eliminated, but this is an impossible goal to achieve. Removing the liberty would be against all this country stands for and, in the other case, in almost any situation there will be a conflict of ideas, so a single, united faction cannot be achieved.

2. If factions cannot be removed then how can they be controlled?

Factions cannot be removed but they can be controlled. One way to control the faction is by setting a limit on the amount of representatives in the group. This would allow for a well-organized party, keeping it controlled as well. Also if these representatives were elected by a larger group it would make sure that those representatives were supported and that the carried out their duty the way the majority would want them to. Along with this the amount of representative in specific areas depends on the amount of people in those areas, to make sure that a smaller group does not have power over the majority of the people.

LAD #2 Zenger Trial

1. Who was John Peter Zenger?

John Peter Zenger was the printer and editor of the New York Weekly Journal around the 1730’s. He would be charged for seditious libel after printing offensive articles against Colonial Governor William Cosby.

2. What was the controversy over his charges? Talk about Hamilton's defense.

The controversy over Zenger’s charges was that if Zenger was telling the truth then in was not libel. So his lawyer, Andrew Hamilton, used that as their defense. In the end it was determined that Zenger was telling the truth, and he was given a verdict of not guilty.

3. What influence did his case have on American governmental tradition?

This trial influenced American governmental tradition in that it showed that truth was a viable defense against libel. This would be a very important precident set by lawyer Andrew Hamilton.

4. What is the lasting significance of his trial? Explain.

The lasting significance of this trial is that due to the outcome, freedom of press was well recognized and even 40 years later, the constitution looked back on this trial. It helped to establish the First Amendment which states our freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of worship, and freedom of press, which was the basis of the Zenger trial.

LAD #1 Mayflower & Fundamental Orders

1) What concepts are included in the Mayflower Compact?

The concepts in the Mayflower Compact include that the people listed were establishing a colony for their King, country, and for the Christian faith. Also that the colony is ruled by the King and that they are there for the benefit of the mother country.

2) How does the Mayflower Compact reflect and attachment to both the "Old" and "New" worlds?

The document states that they are a colony in the New world, but they are there for the benefit of their mother country in the Old world. The document constantly refers to their King in the Old as well as how they are their in the New world for religion as well.

3) How did the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut differ from the Mayflower Compact?

The Fundamental Orders were much more complex and specific. The Mayflower Compact was general and basically stated that they were a colony. In the Fundamental Orders many ideas for their government and voting along with other things were laid out.

4) What prompted the colonists of Connecticut to take this approach to government, i.e.: use of a written Constitution?

The colonists were motivated to make a written constitution because they believed that what God wanted them to do. “The word of God requires that to maintain the peace and union of such a people there should be an orderly and decent Government established.” By creating a constitution they were able to follow the word of God and get a great start to their new colony.

5) In what significant way(s) does the Fundamental Orders reflect a fear of and safeguard against the usurping of power by one person or a chosen few?

In the Fundamental Orders many things were laid out in order to create a safeguard against one person or a small group gaining too much power. In it, it stated the Governor would be elected and that a new one would be elected each year. This prevented against a single person staying in power too long. Also there were two courts and they could be petitioned at anytime. The system that these people wanted to use would’ve been very good at limiting the power of individuals and small groups.

LAD #3 Declaration of Independance

In the opening paragraphs it discusses that sometimes it is necessary to break away from unfair rule. Then it tells of the basic human rights such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The document states that these rights are protected by government and that the people have the right to change or remove any unfair government. It goes on to say that King George III was being unfair and reasons for separating from the mother country would be listed below.

The long list of complaints held many injustices such as the King has held standing armies in America even during times of peace. Also the King restricted American trade to non-British ships and he imposed outrageous taxes on the colonists. In addition he has called for juryless trial and he has vetoed many laws that were important to the colonies as well as ignoring laws that the colonists wanted to be passed. Many of the listed complaints told of how the King would never agree with colonial law because it did not agree with him, this greatly angered the colonists because it made it impossible to have any self-rule.

In the final paragraphs it is written that the colonists have warned Britain several times that they did not want to be taken control of and that they have pushed the colonists to their limits. The last paragraph says that the colonists are now officially free and independent states and that they have all the rights of any other country such as trading, declaring war and peace, and forming alliances. It also demands that all connection to Britain be terminated. The United States of America was formed.

American Rattlesnake Cartoon

1) In this cartoon the historical event that is being represented is the defeat of the British by the American in the American Revolution. The Americans had now beaten the British twice and that is clearly shown in the cartoon from the empty British Army posts and also from the snake that states that they had defeated two British Armies.

2) The message that the artist is trying to show is that the Americans are very powerful and that since they had defeated the two British Armies they were too strong for any other challenger. This is shown with the empty circle that has a sign posted “An Apartment to Lett for Military Gentlemen.” This is simply telling that America is not afraid of their enemies because they, and the artist who was British, felt that they can take on their opponents. Since the artist was British it also shows that even some people in Britain saw that America would be very difficult to beat.

3) The impact that the American Rattlesnake had on history was that it told everyone that America was a force to be reckoned with. The outcome of the event shown was that no other country fought with America up until the War of 1812.