Joseph J. Ellis Book Report

We continue with Part Two of Sydney hockey “lifer” Blair Joseph who, for the majority of his 70-odd years, has been deeply devoted to the sport.

Joseph E. Lee was born in Philadelphia in 1849, he graduated from Howard University in 1873. He moved to Florida that same year and became the first African American lawyer in Jacksonville and in the state of Florida. He served in the House of Representatives from 1875 to 1879 and in the state Senate from 1881 to 1882. He was one of the most influential African American men in Florida through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. He was elected municipal judge of Jacksonville and was one of the first African Americans to have this honor. He educated free slaves at a college by the name of Edward Waters College. Lee worked as a public servant acting at various times as a state legislator, a lawyer, federal customs collector and educator.

     Joseph J. Ellis, a historian who was educated at the College of William and Mary and Yale, is a Ford Foundation Professor of History at Mount Holyoke University. He has written four books on historical topics, centered on the time Jefferson was alive, dealing with issues and personalities Jefferson dealt with firsthand. After authoring a book on a politician such as John Adams, Ellis seems to have felt a need or want to focus on Jefferson, presumably because of his status as founding father and main contributor to the constitution.

Digger J. Jones written by Richard J. Frankland (2007) is a historical fiction text written by a 11 year old character in a Diary 's form .Set in 1967 during the Vietnam war is about the protagonist Digger J. Jones (D.J.J) and his experiences as an Australian aboriginal child during the time of the Vietnam war as well as during the national referendum. The select passage on pages 7-9 contains a letter from the main protagonist Digger to his older brother Paulie who had just been killed while fighting in the Vietnam war. The passage is able to evoke a feeling of empathy from the ideal reader.This text supports the movement of Aboriginal peoples rights and such as the

Robert Moses has become a controversial figure in urban planning. He has built many important buildings, roads, and parks that make New York City the special place it is today. However, he has destroyed many old neighborhoods and created a different sense of community. Do you think he will be remembered as a positive or negative influence on the growth and development of NYC?

American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson, a biography by Joseph Ellis, encompasses many aspects of one of the most controversial and unforgettable American Founding Fathers. Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence and a man of astonishing achievements, left behind a legacy of paradoxes and mysteries, which are thoroughly analyzed throughout the novel. Unlike some people, who are easily characterized and have definite opinions, Thomas Jefferson’s beliefs and intentions remain unclear to many. Simply stated, Ellis describes Jefferson as “the enigmatic and elusive touchstone for the most cherished convictions and contested truths in American culture” (51). His words were often not reflected in his actions and similarly, his thoughts on important matters appeared wavering. Despite this uncertainty, Thomas Jefferson played a dominant role in the establishment and maintenance of a new nation and continues to influence American culture and politics to this day.

July 1, was the beginning of the battle of Gettysburg. The battle of Gettysburg took place in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in the year of 1863. The battle consisted of the Union and the Confederate States of America, because they had collided in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The Union was the North and the Confederate was the South. The Union had 82,289 soldiers and Confederate States of America had 75,000 soldiers. The General of the Union was George G. Meade. He was General for 30 years. The General of the Confederate States of America was Robert Edward. Lee. The Gettysburg was the largest military conflict of the civil war. This battle last three days resulting in the Confederate retreating to Virginia by Robert Edward. Lee. The Confederate

Born to Revolutionary War hero Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee in Stratford Hall, Virginia, Robert Edward Lee seemed destined for military greatness. He served as a military officer in the U.S. Army, a West Point commandant, and the legendary general of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. Lee's ambition is all peaceful ways of resolving the differences between North and South. He was also stand in the middle of two sides, pro-slavery and anti-slavery. His heart toward hometown finally led him resigned the Army of Union and took up command of the Virginia state forces on April 23, 1863. Lee and his Union army achieved great success during the early War at Second Bull Run and Fredericksburg, especially his greatest victory in Chancellorsville. Lee's first field assignment was commanding Confederate forces in western Virginia, where he was defeated at the Battle of Cheat Mountain and was widely blamed for Confederate setbacks.

During the 1950’s African Americans experienced inequality and discrimination. For these reasons Armstrong received many racist reviews in the newspapers, Armstrong refused to comment on political matters or on topics such as segregation and racism. This changed however in 1957, when Armstrong saw the Little Rock Central High School crisis or the “Little Rock nine” as it is also known. When Armstrong saw the crisis on television he was furious and told a reporter, Larry Lubenow, that President Dwight D. Eisenhower had "no guts" and stated, "The way they are treating my people in the South, the Government can go to hell.” When the eager reporter returned to his editor thinking he had a huge new cover story for their paper, the editor said there was no way Armstrong would have said something like that, and that they could only print the story if he had some form of proof. When the reporter returned to Armstrong he asked his permission to print the story.

The Brooklyn Dodgers started him at first base on April 15, 1947, breaking the color line. The Dodgers, by playing Robinson, announced the end of racial segregation that had relegated black players, to the Negro leagues in the 1880s. At the beginning of Robinson’s career, his will was tested. The racial slurs and chants got to Robinson, but nothing stopped him from playing the game he loved. Robinson’s family received threats and he was asked not to fight back when confronted with racism. During one infamous game, the Philadelphia Phillies shouted derogatory terms at Robinson from their dugout. Many players on opposing teams threatened not to play against the Dodgers, even some of Robinson’s teammates threatened to sit out, but Dodgers manager, Leo Durocher, informed them that he would sooner trade them than Robinson. His loyalty to the player set the tone for the rest of Robinson's career with the team.

However, Ellis selects his facts carefully (based on his bias) which conveys a modified version of history to the reader. Through Founding Brothers, Joseph Ellis credits most things to George Washington, as if he is the reason America is where it is currently. He identifies few of Washington’s flaws, and those that he does state, Ellis does not take into consideration how that impacts Washington as a leader. Though Ellis gives a new perspective on the revolution, he could not help but bringing his biased perspective in with it. All that Ellis has written is factual, however the selection and portrayal of the information acts as a filter for the real revolutionary

Through glances of five periods during Thomas Jefferson’s life, Joseph highlights Jefferson’s paradoxes, inconsistencies, and basic ideologies and theories that pressed his main decisions and governance style throughout his lifetime. These clarify the development of his character and political views and create a fascinating biography on this captivating president. Joseph Ellis studied at the College of William and Mary and Yale University and has focused his writing on early president biographies. His interests on this subject include how these men impacted their times and how they were affected by them. He emphasizes character in these profiles, especially in his most acknowledged works, Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation and American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson.

As an ardent historian, Joseph Ellis has written numerous books on the topic of American history. Some of his most famous include: Passionate Sage: The Character and Legacy of John Adams and American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson, which won the 1997 National Book Award. After graduating from Yale University and the College of William and Mary, Ellis currently lives in Amherst, Massachusetts, with his wife, Ellen, and three sons.

Many books have been written about Thomas Jefferson, the writer of the Declaration of Independence, the first secretary of state the third president of the United States of America, but the majority are biographies. In the book American Sphinx: The True Character of Thomas Jefferson, author, Joseph J. Ellis, writes about the character of Thomas Jefferson, by examining his thoughts, actions, and writings in different periods of his life.