LAD #4- Federalist #10

1. Why are factions so difficult to eliminate?

Factions are so difficult to eliminate because the two ways to eliminate them include; destroying the liberty which is essential to the existence of the organization, or giving every citizen the same opinions, passions, and interests. However, with each option, there are drastic side effects. With the first option, abolishing the liberty to a faction is almost as bad an idea as the faction itself. Without an alignment of liberty, a faction will instantly fail. Going along with the second option, is almost as unplausable as the first option. Giving the diversity of people today, the chance that every citizen will have the same opinions, passions and interests is so highly unlikely.

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

Factions can be controlled by removing its causes and controlling it's effects. One method the article talks about on how to manage majority factions is to have a republic, whose members represent more people than the legislatures of a small democracy. With the ability of the representation to select more qualified delegates helps to control a majority faction. Another way to control factions is by not allowing the same interesting in a majority at the same time.

Revolution Article

After reading the article, "Rethinking the Revolution," there were many pieces of information that I was able to take away with me. One thing in particular that I learned was that over 620,000 soldiers perished in the Civil War, making the number of Americna casualties in the Civil War tremendously greater than any other war.
Another piece of new information that I learned was that the founding fathers were some of the first people that realized that history could be used to manipulate how the past would be remembered. A good example of this is how in Washington's biography, he was known to have revised or omitted unflattering details so as to shape his image to the common people as just absolutely perfect.
A third thing that i learned from this article was that by the 1820's, a switch to a primary focus on colonial resistance against Parliamentary procedures began to overshadow the battles of the American Revolutionary War.
Yet another thing i learned was that during the time of the American Revolutionary War, paintings of the the Revolutionary War were occasionally depicting a rather distorted view of events.
Finally, one final thing i found out that was interesting from this article was that endless amounts of civilians ended up perishing during the War of Independence from so many different reasons; diseases, frontier Indian attacks, and coastal raids to name a few.

LAD #3: Declaration of Independence

1.) The democratic principles included in the Declaration of Indepence included the principles that all men are created equal, and are born with certain unalienable rights; life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Along with these principles came the principle that the powers of the governemnt should be decided upon by the people being governed and at any time the ability to abolish, change, or refrom the existing government would be granted.



2.) The colonists were able to list many of their grievances in the Declaration of Independance. Along with the British obstruction of the administration of justice, and the placement of standing armies in times of peace; the colonists were also enraged with the imposing of taxes without their consent, the cutting off of their trade with other parts of the world, and in most cases, for the deprivation of trial by jury. Furthermore, the taking away of the colonists charters, abolishment of their most valuable laws and the fundemental alteration of their governments were also listed in the Declaration of Independence along with many more grievances.

3.) In the conclusion of the Decalaration of Independence, the colonial powers not only establish themselves as the representatives of the United States of America, but they also clearly state that the colonies are now free and indpendent states from Great Britain. They have discontinued any alleigance to the British crown and now hold the same power and authority as do all the other nations of the world, to declare war, establish peace, etc.

LAD #2- Zenger Trial

1. Who was John Peter Zenger?

John Peter Zenger was the editor and publisher of the New York Newspaper, the New York Weekly Journal. In 1733, he was arrested, brought to jail, put on trial and charged with seditious libel. Represented by the lawyer, Alexander Hamilton, he was later found not guilty and his trial would go on to become one of the most famous of the time.

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

The controversy over his charges was that although Zenger did publish the stories, he published the truth. In Zenger's defense, Hamilton stated that it wasn't libel unless it was false. Bringing into play both the law and the facts, Hamilton succeeded in showing Zenger's innocence to the jury.

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

In regards to American governemnt tradition, the Zenger trial set a precedent for judicial tyranny in libel suits. Truth as a defense was set up as a defense against libel.

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

The lasting significance of the Zenger trial is that freedom of the press was affirmed in America. So long as a statement was true, and accurate, no matter how derogatory it was, by law, it was allowed to be published.

1. What concepts are included in the mayflower compact?-The concepts included in the mayflower compact included the furthering of the Christian faith and the continued loyaltly to King James. The combination of the settlers into a civil bodied government was also one of the main concepts of compact. The enforcement of laws, ordinances, acts, and consitutions were also included in the main concepts of the document.

2. How does the Mayflower Compact reflect an attachment to both the "Old" and "New" worlds?
By continuing a loyal relationship with King James and maintaining the Chrisitan faith, the Mayflower Compact reflects the still current attatchment to the "old" world, yet in respects to the "new" world, they were still a seperate bodied society.

3. How did the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut differ from the Mayflower Compact?
The fundemental orders of connecticut differed from the mayflower compact in that the fundemental orders of connecticut specifically stated laws which were to be set into place and was more specific. This was a written consitution of specific laws.


4. What prompted the colonists of Connecticut to take this approach to government, i.e.: use of a written Constitution?
The colonists acted upon the word of god which stated that in order to maintain peace in a society, and orderly and decent government should be created.


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?

The fact that the Fundemental Orders included laws which established that governmental positions based on popular soverignty, showed that a fear of an uprising from just one person or a select few was present. From the creation of the two general assemblies to the election of the governers, the fear was shown through the need for power to not all go to one person.