Larry Schweikart Analysis

The United States would grow to be a successful nation over the next two centuries, so is it plausible that the founding fathers took into consideration that religion had the potential to crumble the foundation of this country they were assembling? Perhaps, they had already lived in the Colonial times where the church and state worked simultaneously and saw how at times this arrangement would violate fundamental liberties.

Since the early 1600s, the colonies had been practicing self-government. With the influence of the British, the American colonies were able to create a representative government. With the rights of its people in mind, the government continues to put in force the policies and laws formed by the colonies. Those policies, formed so long ago by the colonies, have helped to shape and maintain our Constitutional Republic today.

Madison, one of the founding father of America, is agreeing with the group of people who are against what he makes and at one time even believed in. People in America of all status need protection of their rights from their government, and the population did not find the Constitution to be sufficient. As the Anti Federalists in the Continental Congress expressed their specific concerns, their ideas snowballed until they came to the conclusion that they needed a Bill of

Thomas Jefferson desired a democracy where governmental decisions would not be affected by religious beliefs and biased views of the situation. Thomas Jefferson viewed separation of church and state here is some of his insight on the topic, “...legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, ' thus building a wall of separation between Church & State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties” (Thomas Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptists). Jefferson became the sole author for the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which became the the most important religious separationist papers of the 1700’s. Jefferson’s ideas and writings for separation of church and state helped to form the American Enlightenment period, and to further his ideals based upon his

After reading the U.S Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and Thomas Jefferson’s Letter to the Danbury Baptists in 1802. I realized that all three of these documents have common signers and Thomas Jefferson as the creator of these documents. God also plays a major role in these documents. As mentioned in the Declaration of Independence “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness (Declaration, 2016, p. 1)”. This document, which was created, first in order to assure our countries stability states that our country has been built on God, and it united the thirteen colonies. This document mentions us as equals just as mentioned in the Bible “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”(Galatians 3:28). The Constitution does not mention God but it is built on God, and the founders believed strongly in God and the “Natural Law”. Thomas Jefferson’s Letter to the Danbury Baptists in 1802 on the other hand

The novel Schooled by Gordon Korman is a fantastically fabulous story.The main character is named Capricorn Anderson or Cap for short.He is a flower child,or hippie, and to his luck,Cap gets dropped in the real world at a real school for the first time because his grandmother, Rain,broke her hip.This caused Cap to drive her to the hospital where they said that Cap couldn’t go back to Garland,( The alternative farm commune that Rain has owned since the 60’s to keep the ways of the hippies alive for all this time.)Cap is very different from the other students at C Average because he practices tai chi, a kind martial arts,hadn’t heard of most modern technologies,or wedgies,and is filled with hippie wisdom,causing him to be like an alien compared to the other students.Fortunately, like anyone in a new area,he adapts and changes even in his two month stay.

When the Founding Fathers were planning the country, each one had different ideas on what the country should be like. Some favored a strong central government, others saw that strength in the states would make for a better government. Most of the time, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison are seen as the two biggest influences, and opposing views on the role of the federal government. Jefferson opted for a weaker central government, with stronger states and more individual rights, while Madison favored a strong central government, and weaker states. Given that the country was founded on ideas of liberty and democracy, Thomas Jefferson is the more correct of the two.

The quote from James Madison consists of two parts. First is his statement that “If men were angels, no government would be necessary.” This is an affirmation of John Locke’s social contract theory which seemed to be widely accepted at the time. That is to say, without laws the state of human nature is chaos, but by agreeing to a social contract in the form of laws and government, order and harmony emerge. If men were angels, their nature would not be towards chaos, and thusly no social contract would be necessary. Since men are not angels, government is needed to maintain order.

Thomas Jefferson is thought to be a mass of contradictions. His views on slavery, religion, and education greatly puzzle those who analyze his life. From the time Thomas Jefferson was elected to the Continental Congress in 1775, he astounded America with his vast ideas and expertise. Some perceived Jefferson as a radical atheist because of his views on education, though he had purposeful equality in mind. No American Founding Father is so controversial and honored. Most know of his accomplishments as a writer and president, but deep in his array of feats lie his views on education. His life’s work and plans for public education shaped America forever.

Left with the task of forging the first democratic nation in many centuries, the founding fathers delicately pieced together a government inspired by the ideals of the Revolution. On this pubescent time period, Merill Jensen writes: “an attempt was made to write democratic ideals and theories of government into the laws and constitutions of the American states.” The founders made the radical choice to separate church and state. In a draft of his bill establishing religious freedom, Jefferson wrote: “WE the General Assembly of Virginia do enact that no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship.” The result of the Revolution was a united push for radical political and social changes that changed history.

Thomas Jefferson was an excellent visionary on the topic of separation of church and state, he articulated through supporting religion yet upholding civil liberties that could also be lost along the

In the Federalist Papers 10, Madison argues that the most knowledgeable and virtuous citizens believe that the government is too easily changed and too directly influenced by the people. He wants the government to have more power over the people and for it to be ruled by the minority party, such as himself. This is suspect to suspicion, as many of the people involved in the writing of the Constitution were part of that minority that they believed should possess more power than the common people. Both Howard Zinn and Charles Beard think that one of the main purposes of the Constitution was simply to benefit the wealthy, aristocratic upper class both financially and

Beginning in March of 1809, the fourth President of the United States, James Madison, was elected to serve the American people. Madison was a Virginian man who had expansive views on the future of the Country. He, along with several others, composed the US constitution, The Bill of Rights, and the Federalist Papers. He also founded the Democratic-Republican party which was the first opposing political party. Writing the constitution, Madison believed in societal equality. The need for change from early colonist began when they felt like they were not represented or valued in society. Colonist fought for the freedom they deserved from the british in a number of ways. Our constitution was created as a demand for equal rights between the British

Ratified December 15, 1791, the Bill of Rights was created to ensure the safety of citizens rights across the United States. The Bill of Rights acted as a compromise between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists, which would then lead to the authorization of the Bill of Rights. If it wasn’t for the Anti-Federalists demand for a Bill of Rights, it would’ve never been added to the Constitution, which would most likely lead to another abusive and corrupt central government.

This 10 part documentary is a primary source because it showcases the personal experiences of Lars Krutak in his quest to understand and receive the rarest tattoos on earth. Krutak began tattoo research in 1996 as a graduate student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Trained as an archaeologist and cultural anthropologist, he spent three years exploring the complex symbolism and practice of tattooing throughout the Arctic.