Republican Motherhood

1. What role did the Revolutionary War play in the transformation of housewifery to Republican Motherhood?
The role instituted following the Revolutionary War for a woman, although exempifying some transformations, was one derived from previous statures of the male mind. Woman, although now guaranteed some educational opportunities as seen in Document B, were more so being prepared for a lifetime servitude to their family. For, "next to the obligations which woman owes directly to her God, are those arising from her relation to the family institution" (Document A). In this, women were now guaranteed a "higher" duty in society, although their influence did not often spread beyond the confinements of a traditional home as it is made to sound in Document D. Rather, women were now supposed to be aptly equipped to rase their children, sons or daughters, into a Republican individual living for God.

2. What were the consequences of Republican Motherhood on women?
Consequences of Republican Motherhood, ranging in both positive and negative aspects, gradually shifted the roles of women in society. Firstly, women were not able to find work outside of domestic work in a traditional family setting because this is what was expected of them. Although unfair, the role of a Republican Mother was often romanticised during this era, being made up to be training as a proper citizen in America, is witnessed in Document A. Too, women were now guaranteed some education such as knowledge of the English language, basic hjand-writing techniques and skills, an acquaintance with geography and chronolgy, and knowledge of bookeeping (Document B).

3. What is the significance of the idealogy of Republican Motherhood as a stage in the process of women's socialization?
This newfound idealogy, forged through an increased reliance on the family following an era of destruction through armed conflict, gave women a rejuvenated hope for social improvement. Women were now seen as being "born for liberty, disdaining to bear the irons of a tyrannic Government... forged by tyrants in times of ignorance and barbarity" (Document C). Women, experiencing difficult times, bound together in a Republican faction in order to pursuit this ever present dream of social equality. Now, with a sovereign nation beneath their feet, they could instill these same values into their children, ones of piety, religious morality, and knowledge of all aspects of life, in order to ensure for the continuance of this Republican movement. In this, at least for now, "the influence of woman is not limited to the domestic circle. Society is her empire, which she governs at will" (Document D).



1. The setting of this photo appears to be that of an ordinary home during this time period, with the background illustrating a common place such as a sofa in a living room for traditional family interactions.

2. The center of this portrait, centered about the mother figure in the painting, exemplifies the growing emphasis on females within American society following the Revolutionary War. The woman, looking well made up but not of an aristocratic stature, rather exemplifying a woman favoring the way she looks while still maintaining some modesty, exemplifies her Republican nature. Her reliance on her children illustrates her favoring nature towards her children, including them fully into the portrait.

3. In the portrait, her sons exhibit that of a common love for their mother, exemplifying a child's reliance on their mother during this era. This truth sums up the Republican Motherhood era; children idolize their mother, thus learning all from the ever important family figure.

4. Mrs. Tilgham's arm, rather than wrapping around both of her sons in the portrait instead only encompassing one of the children, exemplifies societies emphasis on caring for the younger children within a family as to develop their mind into that which favors Republican ideals.

LAD #7: Washington's Farewell Address

In Washington's farewell address, this ideal American president not only gave much thanks to the people of this nation for their support of his numerous policies, the key components for his success, but also makes note of certain political virtues against the dangers that they present and, if left unscathed, ultimately will lead to the downfall of this newly independent nation. He reiterates the point that the American people are essentially one body, differing only slightly in their perspectives regarding their desires for liberty and their common political beliefs. Too, Washington believes that there are lines of both communication and economic natures that connect the four sects of the American frontier, devout in his thoughts that these lines, brought together under one governmental system, is vastly more powerful than that of individual alliances. In light of promoting this unity, Washington also makes note of the dangers of foreign policies. These foreign ideals can easily spur into factions, organizations of similar people under a zealous leader that can come to control the liberties of its people, through which it gains its power. Too, Washington expresses his concerns for the ever present obstacle of dissension, primarily spurred through an individual with power exemplifying strong opposition to the Constitution. This truth would in turn transform the impact of the Constitution. In order to suppress these threats, Washington stresses the points of religious piety and the spread of knowledge, further promoting his themes of political morality which are the key to success in any democratic government.

LAD #6: Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality

Washington, in order to prevent the American people or its governmental system from engaging in the wars that placed the belligerent powers, consisting of nations such as Britain, Sardinia, Netherlands, Austria, and Prussia against a France engulfed in revolution, made a distinct declaration that his nation would act in neutrality as to prevent unnecessary conflict. In this declaration, Washington cautions his citizens at making attempts to engage in the warfare in Europe, for this would result in their loss of protections provided by the American government. Finally, any individual who did in fact seek engagement with the armed conflicts on the European continent were vastly persecuted, becoming liable to forfeit any and all rights through punishment by the laws of the nation.

LAD #5: Federalist #10

1. Why are factions so difficult to eliminate?
The reality that factions remain difficult to abolish lies with one simple concept: they are an unavoidable, natural component of society. As each man of a society is treated differently, these unmet desires and wants of the people will undoubtedly form their perceptions of the world around them. It is in these perceptions that multiple parties are formed, each designated to fulfilling this common need (i.e. faction). These common interests can find themselves rooted in nearly anything, whether it be wealth, social stature, land possession, manufacturing interests, and far more. The only means by which these factions could be effectively ended would be to either deny the people their unalienable rights, thus contradicting all that the American Revolution was fought in search of and forcing the government of this nation into hypocrisy, or give each individual equal rights, a rather inconceivable notion due to the fact that each individual is an individual of their own creation, being forged through experience and conscience.

2. If factions cannot be removed then how can they be controlled?
The people of this nation, being themselves inadequate judges of their own efforts being made in cooperation with their ideals, often times hinting towards a certain level of bias on their part, make for a democracy devout in protecting the rights of the people inadequate to put out the flames of a faction based society. However, a democracy favoring representative governmental strategies would ensure the that they conduct themselves in a manner that is beneficial for the state, often times seperating themselves from the "zeal" or enthusiasm of a faction. Although power, when placed into the hands of an individual, often corrupts, the number of representatives within a democratic form of government, elected by a vast population of people from various factions within a given area, would aid in neutralizing these factional opinions. Too, due to the presence of numerous factions within the United States, it becomes far too difficult for one faction to monopolize the field in which it resides. In this truth, it is commonly known that equal representation can be guaranteed without the fear that one will infringe upon the rights of an opposing faction.

Blog #4: Revolution Article

Facts Regarding the Revolution From the Provided Article:

1. Many of the military historical figures from the Revolution came to be known for something other than their exploits, however long lasting they may have been, during the war. For instance, Benedeict Arnold is known to be a traitor to this nation, George Washington is known as our first president, and John Paul Jones is known for sparking Theodore Roosevelt's desire to have America become one of the world's most powerful navies.

2. George Washington, being the prudent, wise man that history has portrayed him as, made very few remarks about the rebel soldiers. Even though he clearly respected their efforts by that no other force parallels the actions taken by these men and that they conducted themselves in a peculiar manner, never once did he establish a national day or event in which their efforts could be commemorated.

3. Due to the regions in which the war was fought, many civilians were killed as a result. With the unsanitary environment of the time, illness and disease spread rather quickly, turning numerous private residences into public hospitals for soldiers at war. Too, with guerilla warfare and Native American involvement, many civilians in towns or on the streets were killed simply because they were in the line of fire. Coastal raids by the British and home invasions by the redcoats also contributed to a growing colonial dissatisfaction with their colonizers war efforts, ultimately leading to an increased war effort by the colonists. In Connecticut, five towns felt these realities more so than many other regions, with British soldiers storming shipyards, warehouses, and plantations.

4. Some of the most brutal and retaliatory forms of warfare were between revolutionaries and loyalist Americans right here on the North American continent. Loyalist Cavalrymen, under the rule of Banastre Tarleton in 1780, slaughtered already surrundered rebel troops in South Carolina. Later, rebellio0n officer Colonel Henry Lee retaliated to this by killing ninety loyalist soldiers in March of 1781 in North Carolina.

5. Aprroximately half of the prisoners of war during the Revolutionary period were killed or left to die under the observations of their capturer. Due to this reality, a policy against killing captives was soon instituted upon the rebel forces by their commander. Yet, with supplies running low and resources being scarcely found, prisoners of war were often ravaged for their clothing and other supplies which were in high demand due to the times of warfare. In the harsh winter months, this resulted in many prisoners dying from a lack of food or lack of sufficient clothing. Roughly, the percentage of prisoners who died during the Revolutionary War in America rivaled that of the Japanese interment camps during World War II.

LAD #3: Declaration of Independence

1. In the Declaration of Independence, the Democratic Principles Section clearly dictates that a government exists solely to the overall happiness and rights of the people and derives its power from those it governs. If a series of actions by the governmental body infringes upon an individuals unalienable rights for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, then the people of that nation thus have a right to abolish the current regime in cohesion of one which will undoubtedly provide those liberties. As this reality held true during colonial times under the tyrannical rule of King George, then the American Revolution is undoubtedly justifiable.

2. Acting as justification for a revolt, the List of Grievances clearly exemplifies numerous occasions in which the King acted unjustly against the populations residing in his colonial possessions. An example of one such crime against an individuals liberties is his dissolution of colonial assemblies, thus removing the colonists' rights toward representation and self-government. Too, the King, when he stationed his redcoat armies throughout the American colonies during times of peace, of who gained numerous rights such as being free of trial and being permitted to stay in private homes, ignored the rights of those assemblies. Finally, the King is charged with burning towns, ravaging the coasts, and was also charged with terminating many colonial charters and legislations.

3. In conclusion, the Declaration of Independence states that, in their failure to find peace with their British opponents, who have time and time again turned their backs on justice and liberty, in order to create "free and independent states" they must first break away from the oppression that Britain has placed upon them. In doing so, the United States of America, in being now its own individual country, reserves the rights to declare war, make peace, create alliances, and establish commerce with foreign nations. Ultimately, the conclusion of this patriotic and wonderful document states that America is both declaring independence from and war on Britain as a liberated, unified nation.

LAD #2: John Peter Zenger

1. Who was John Peter Zenger?
During the early eighteenth-century, John Peter Zenger, originally an emigrant from the country of Germany, was a printer for a New York Magazine known as the New York Weekly Journal. Upon publishing an article which clearly criticized the actions of Governor William Cosby, actions were made by this government official against his criticizer. Due to this, Zenger was thrown into jail and later placed on trial for the things which he had printed against Cosby in the journal segment.

2. What was the controversy over his charges? Talk about Hamilton's defense.Despite the accusations against Zenger for his public criticisms against Royal Governor Cosby, Hamilton presented his defense clearly and precisely to the jury upon the trial's opening. Hamilton, stating that even though the articles were rather harsh in stating that the Governor had wrongly prosecuted an Interim Governor and removed a Chief of Justice, the accusations were none the less accurate. Furthermore, because of the truths which lay within Zenger's article about the Governor, thus giving the jury no reason to charge Zenger with libel, the jury made a final decision to name Zenger not guilty after only about fifteen minutes of conversing on their verdict.


3. What influence did his case have on American governmental tradition?
The ruling in this case by the jury set many precedents for future cases such as this. In order to maintain a non-tyrannical and rational state of being in all publications, the ruling here of Zenger as being not guilty for his actions, of which is completely justified, exemplified to the American people that, in a court of law, a citizens liberties and God-given rights are to be guaranteed and protected.


4. What is the lasting significance of his trial? Explain.
The primary significance of this trial, at least one which has lived on into the realms of history today, is the protection of a citizens right to free speech. If the ruling had been guilty, a libel charge against Zenger which clearly infringes upon his liberties as a citizen due to the truths of his accusations against Cosby, tyranny and unjust trials could have been made the precedent for many trials to come. However, because of the not guilty ruling, forever exemplifying the freedoms guaranteed by numerous American documents, a citizen of this great nation can now feel solidified in their liberties under the Bill of Rights and a court of law.

LAD #1: Mayflower Compact & Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

1. What concepts are included in the Mayflower Compact?
Primarily the main purpose of the Mayflower Compact was to define the basics of a colonial civilization, creating discussions of life as well as laws, that would be either thought up or enacted through meetings. Too, this Compact officially instituted the creation of a colony in America by outlining the basic ideals and beliefs of that newly generated colony. These ideals, with equality being one of vast importance, ensured that any piece of passed legislation would be fair and just, as well as the frequency of meetings for the people of the colony.


2. How does the Mayflower Compact reflect and attachment to both the "Old" and "New" Worlds? 
Due to the reality that under the Mayflower Compact pilgrims were still subservient to the rule of English King James back in the colonies' mother country of Britain, the "Old" World is undoubtedly exemplified. Despite this one instance of representation for the "Old" World in the colonies under the Mayflower Compact, this agreement also reflected multiple views of the "New" World as well. Firstly, the colonies are separate entities from England, despite loyalty to the crown, and secondly colonists were permitted to enact new laws and hold meetings, both of which made for equality of the people, regarding life and issues throughout a colony.


3. How did the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut differ from the Mayflower Compact?
In contrast, the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut is a vastly long and specific article, differing greatly from the condense Mayflower Compact, which, towards the end, has nothing but a list of names. Primarily, the Mayflower Compact represented nothing more than an agreement between the people to set up an organized colony, setting forth laws, regulations, and times for frequent town meetings in order to ensure the continued success of the colony. In the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, however, detailed specifically the framework for all governmental bodies within a colony, giving recognition to responsibilities, increased voting rights, length of political terms, and elections.


4. What prompted the colonists of Connecticut to take this approach to government, i.e.: use of a written Constitution?
The fundamental prompt of the colonists of Connecticut for approaching government in this way was their devout religious ties. The colonists, wanting written laws and order, did so in a manner which expressed their continual obedience and faithfulness, in both life and government, to the words of God. The article clearly dictates that in order to ensure the prosperity, peace, and union of a colony, that its governmental system should mirror the organization and decency of God.


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?
Because of the fact that the Fundamental Orders repeatedly refer to God and his attributes, of which they wish to institute into their colonial governmental body, it is clearly exemplified that these colonists were religious individuals. Too, on top of this continued reliance on God's order and protection, this agreement also allows for a system of checks and balances to be made; between the Governor, the Magistrates, the Secretary, the two General Assemblies, and nearly all individuals involved with government decisions. More specifically, balance was kept by delegating responsibilities, limitations on the length of a governmental term, and individuals in position to fulfill duties otherwise left unfulfilled by government peers. 

Initial Blog: Confirming Creation

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