The Quartet By Joseph Ellis Essay

Washington's reevaluation of the situation after the failure in New York was the strategy he should have adopted from the start of the war. His knowledge of war fighting was learned by direct observation and experience. In this, he realized to win he must more that all else, preserve the integrity of the Continental Army. "Washington concluded that if the army could be kept alive, the Revolutionary cause would remain alive." (Weigley, p. 12) In gaining this insight, Washington set about on a new course to victory in that the "Art of War" is demonstrated.

In the book Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis, the author relates the stories of six crucial historic events that manage to capture the flavor and fervor of the revolutionary generation and its great leaders. While each chapter or story can be read separately and completely understood, they do relate to a broader common theme. One of Ellis' main purposes in writing the book was to illustrate the early stages and tribulations of the American government and its system through his use of well blended stories. The idea that a republican government of this nature was completely unprecedented is emphasized through out the book. Ellis discusses the unique problems that the revolutionary generation experienced as a result of governing under the

Though the American colonists had not achieved a true, uniform sense of identity or unity by 1776, on the eve of Revolution, the progress towards unity and the inchoate idea of an “American” between 1750 and 1776 is inevitable in both existence and significance. Previous to the French and Indian War, America as a whole had been, more or less, loyal mercantile-based, and subservient to the British crown as British colonists in the New World; however, the Americans' sense of unity kindled and proliferated with the increased tax burdens and coercive Parliamentary decisions, while even until 1776,

After the colonies gained independence, the founding fathers soon found that becoming a new independent nation was going to be a difficult task. The biggest task was deciding on the division of power in the government. This issue divided the people into two groups, the federalists and the Jeffersonian republicans. Alexander Hamilton led the federalists and Thomas Jefferson led the republicans. These two important men in history would later show how the challenges of becoming a new nation. In this essay I will be analyzing the ideas of Linda K. Kerber’s “The Fears of the Federalists,” to Drew R. McCoy’s “The Fears of the Jeffersonian Republicans.” Furthermore, comparisons will be made about both essays to gain a better understanding of the struggles of government in early America.

The personal lives of Washington and Adams were quite different in their families and the atmosphere of their homes. Before Washington was president he married Martha Washington who had two kids Jack and Patscy from her past marriage. Washington thought it was his job as a father to always be there for his kids. He was very generous in spending and providing everything they needed. “Additionally he was very stern when it came to education; he had his son Jack involved in courses like French, arithmetic, and multiple philosophy courses” (Knollenberg 74). The atmosphere of Washington’s home was very southern. He was from Virginia and owned a good amount slaves. He was also a great farmer as he attempted to get his kids involved with

Another story about the young George Washington was about he had thrown a silver dollar across the Potomac River. These stories are just myth, but it shows a reader that if someone makes up moral stokes about someone, especially a man of high power, that the person they are making the stories about must be a very moral person. This is exactly what young George Washington was. He was very kind, compassionate, and hard working. His father died when he was eleven years old and it is very plausible, that, because he was the oldest male still left in the house, he became the new “man of the house”. This is where he learned his character of hard work and responsibility.

During the times after the creation the United States Constitution the Founding Fathers, or Founding Brothers as this book calls them, explored many different challenges. “Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation” talks about this challenges and events in different sections that focus on seven historical figures at the time: George Washington, John and Abigail Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, and Adam Burr. Joseph J. Ellis talked about six events, in six chapters, from the time in American history that shaped the ideas that created the United States government that is known today. The chapters are called as followed The Duel, The Dinner, The Silence, The Farewell, The Collaborators, and The Friendship. After a brief introductory chapter called The Generation , in which the reader is introduced to the setting and characters, the story begins.

1776, a non-fiction historical book, is written by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner David McCullough. The book revolves around the American Revolution, hence the title 1776, and it accurately shows the course of actions that have taken place in that year. 1776 is displays how America became an independent nation and what the individuals during that time had to go through to gain access to freedom and liberty. The Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, the nation’s most cherished symbol of independence, that same year on July 4. With education systems not going in depth of the year 1776, this paper is to show how this book has revealed so much of our country’s history in one year.

Ellis describes a heated House debate in 1790 where slavery was reluctantly addressed. Benjamin Franklin and James Madison’s reactions are discussed. Ellis recognizes that in this moment, compromise was absent and the divisions within the country were becoming increasingly conspicuous. Ellis emphasize that making slavery a non-issue eventually led to the Civil War. The next event described by Ellis was the publishing of George Washington’s Farewell Address. Ellis addresses Washington’s legacy and regard for future generations of America. In his next story, Ellis examines how the relationships of 1776 turned into more sensible collaborations that would mold American history. Ellis focuses mainly on the relationship between Jefferson and Adams as well as Adams’ collaboration with his wife, Abigail. In his final piece of evidence, Ellis tells the story of the extensive communication between Adams and Jefferson during the last fourteen years of their lives, restoring their lost friendship after a political betrayal.

Joseph Ellis sets out to make George Washington, the person we think of as an icon, into a real person. He wants to show us what makes him tick. He wants to turn the marble into the man. So many students today see George Washington as a memorial, a monument, a face on a dollar bill, and the man who could not lie when he cut down the cherry tree. He wants to show us the man George Washington was in his day. Ellis’s method was to divide George Washington’s life into three main parts:

Everyone knows George Washington as the first president, but most people do not know his other roles in the creation of the United States of America. In Joseph J. Ellis’s book, His Excellency George Washington, Ellis tells about Washington’s life. He includes his time as a general in the Revolutionary War, his life in retirement after the war, and also his time as the president. Ellis’s main focus in the book is to paint a picture for the reader so it almost feels like they are right next to Washington as his life is explained. The information in his book allows for readers to have a better understanding of what Washington went through in his life and also ,at times, gives educated guesses on what Washington might have been thinking. Through this book, it is easy to see why George Washington is referred to as one of the greatest Americans to ever live.

Joseph J.Ellis provides an insight of how a nation emerged, with a group of memorable individuals that founded the American Republic. Founding Brothers deals with confrontations and crucial issues that Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Aaron Burr, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and George Washington encountered during an undefined decade where a fragile nation was being formed. With its main and secondary theme that focuses on the struggles the leaders of the Revolutionary Generation dealt with for the success of a Union, Founding Brothers is a marvelous book for historical readers that want an understanding of the political chaos of the early republic.

At the core of the American Revolution, particularly the “Founding Brothers,” was the belief that they were founding a nation that would promote liberty for posterity. Evidence of the “Brother’s” belief is exhibited in the Preamble of the Constitution when it notes “and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” Although this belief would keep the “Brothers” united for a part of our nation’s early history, it would also divide the “Brothers” at points in time, as each possessed various opinions on various matters, and they believed their opinion was the only viable path for our nation to endure the test of time. Nowhere is this more exhibited than in the relationship between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. The goal of promoting a lasting republic that future Americans would benefit from would lead these two brothers from friendship to adversaries to reunion.

Thomas Stearns Eliot was an eminent American poet of the twentieth century. In his early poetry, Eliot develops several characters who posses all characteristics of the modern man. However, Eliot’s personal views and poetry changed after years, as he indoctrinated to Christianity. His poems became more cheerful in tone and they started offering more propositions, instead of skepticism. Even though Eliot’s poetry experienced serious transformation, it carried similar aspects. All of his poems are intellectual, aesthetic and emotional, trying to pay tribute to the past and endorse the present. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” and the set of four poems “Four Quartets” are good examples of Eliot’s outstanding and assorted poetry.