Many of Madison’s ideas, including his support of a strong central government, went into the new U.S. Constitution. In 1789 Madison was elected to the new House of Representatives. There he helped pass the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. How did James Madison contribute to […]
Jefferson has been a great democratic icon precisely because he so eloquently articulated fundamental tensions in Americans’ understanding of the people’s power. The United States had “the strongest Government on earth,” Jefferson told his fellow Americans in his first Inaugural Address on March 4, 1801. What was Thomas Jefferson’s personal […]
GEORGE WASHINGTON President. IN CONVENTION, September 17, 1787. Who was president when the Constitution was signed? George Washington signed the Constitution of the United States on September 17, 1787 at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. George Washington spent the spring and summer of that year presiding over intense and lengthy […]
the National Archives museum. Located on the upper level of the National Archives museum, the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom is the permanent home of the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States, and Bill of Rights. Is the Constitution on display the original? The original Constitution […]
The other purposes for adopting the Constitution, recited by the Preamble— to “establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity”—embody the aspirations that We the People have for our What are the 5 […]
“B” GOOD: Three quality points are allowed for each semester credit hour. “C” SATISFACTORY: Two quality points are allowed for each semester credit hour “D” LOWEST PASSING GRADE: One quality point is allowed for each semester credit hour. What is considered passing at Ualbany? The grade of E is a […]
Drafting the Declaration of Independence in 1776 became the defining event in Thomas Jefferson’s life. Despite Jefferson’s desire to return to Virginia to help write that state’s constitution, the Continental Congress appointed him to the five-person committee for drafting a declaration of independence. Why did they write the Declaration of […]
Although Jefferson disputed his account, John Adams later recalled that he had persuaded Jefferson to write the draft because Jefferson had the fewest enemies in Congress and was the best writer. (Jefferson would have gotten the job anyway—he was elected chair of the committee.) Who convinced Thomas Jefferson to write […]
Edward Rutledge. Two future presidents, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, were among the signatories. Edward Rutledge (age 26) was the youngest signer, and Benjamin Franklin (age 70) was the oldest signer. Who was the youngest signer of the Declaration How old was he? There was a 44-year age difference between […]
Among the Founding Fathers, 35 of the 55 delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention of 1787 were lawyers or had legal training. How many US presidents have been lawyers? Most people are surprised to learn that eight lawyer-presidents did so. In addition to Harrison and Taft, the advo-cates were John […]
The common schools movement was the effort to fund schools in every community with public dollars, and is thus heralded as the start of systematic public schooling in the United States. The movement was begun by Horace Mann, who was elected secretary of the newly founded Massachusetts Board of Education […]
Harriet Tubman. Harriet Tubman was the most famous conductor for the Underground Railroad. Who is the leader of the Underground Railroad? Harriet Tubman (1822-1913), a renowned leader in the Underground Railroad movement, established the Home for the Aged in 1908. Born into slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland, Tubman gained her […]
Known as the “Moses of her people,” Harriet Tubman was enslaved, escaped, and helped others gain their freedom as a “conductor” of the Underground Railroad. Tubman also served as a scout, spy, guerrilla soldier, and nurse for the Union Army during the Civil War. What are 3 of Harriet Tubman […]
Congress required former Confederate state to ratify the amendment as a condition for re-admission into the Union. On December 18, the 13th Amendment was officially adopted into the Constitution—246 years after the first shipload of captive Africans landed at Jamestown, Virginia, and were bought as enslaved workers. Why did it […]
To avoid opening himself and Madison to charges of betraying the Convention’s confidentiality, Hamilton chose the pen name “Publius,” after a general who had helped found the Roman Republic. Why did they use the pseudonym Publius? Alexander Hamilton recruited Madison and Jay to write the essays and chose Publius as […]