War of 1812

Analyze and justify:

The war of 1812 was the most peculiar conflict in our history.  

It began after the cause for it had ceased to exist.  

It was not fought for the reasons declared.  

The nation’s main military victory came after the peace treaty had been signed; the peace itself gave Americans none of the things they had fought for.

But despite all these failings, the United States emerged from the war a prouder, stronger, and more unified nation.  It was ready at last to turn its back on the affairs of Europe and to build an American Empire for liberty. 

(Boorstin, A History of the United States)

Hamilton Quote just before his Duel!

What does this mean?

Many Federalists fretted that his expansion of the nation would enhance the slaveholding South at the expense of the Northeast. "The Virginia faction," observed Stephen Higginson of Massachusetts, "have certainly formed a deliberate plan to govern and depress New England, and this eagerness to extend our territory and create new Sates is an essential part of it."

Some of these Federalists, led by former secretary of state Timothy Pickering and Connecticut's Roger Griswold revived the 1780s idea of breaking away and forming a separate confederacy of New England and New York. Hamilton's adamant opposition to such a scheme, however, essentially killed it, at least for the time being.

"Dismemberment of our Empire," Hamilton told one prominent New England Federalist the night before his fatal duel with Aaron Burr in July of 1804, offered "no relief to our real Disease;  which is DEMOCRACY."

The Week Beginning January 18th

Hope you had a reflective MLK Day. This day is becoming more of "service" which I think is good. I did my service by coming to talk to our boys' basketball team, doing some reading about the War of 1812 and reading the newspaper, which on every MLK Day publishes MLK's "I have a Dream" speech. I did once again read it in it's entirety. Then after leaving school around noon, I heard "The Man" himself deliver it. Very, very moving, to say the least. It gave me time to reflect on what MLK means to our country's history!

Tuesday I would like to spend a few minutes reviewing this blog.

I'm proposing a project that focuses on our local government. This would include:

• Federal
• State
• County
• City
• School Board

Class time on Tuesday will therefore be taken up with design and dividing up into groups.

In addition, there's the War of 1812.