BOB

Leadership

The required leadership to guide the colonist through a revolution was more than just one man could handle. It was determined by many historically named men, who stood up for their rights and declared their right to freedom. These men had courage, intelligence, and a very large ego. Many were bias and even contradicted each other on the matter of revolution. However, they were able to collaborate in one of the most finest ways in history. There had been many who were part of the revolution, but there were four who stood out in history. According to Joseph Ellis in his novel Founding Brothers, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson were those men.

Although when it came to the bias and contradiction, two of those names stand out above of all the others. Adams and Jefferson were complete opposites in the sense that, they disagrees about everything. As Joseph Ellis puts it, "they were an incongruous pair... the Yankee and the cavalier, the orator and the writer, the bulldog and the greyhound..." They were like the first democrat and republican in America. Jefferson being the democrat and Adams the republican; Jefferson is a self contained man whose idea of a debate was that it was a "violation of the natural harmonies," when Adams' idea of a debate was a ruthless argument. They were different, they don't even debate in the same way. So how could it be that two different types of people, within a government, are able to work out many different problems without causing anarchy and loss of the democracy itself? They give some and lose some. It is a matter of giving up one idea for one you think is better. This creates a well balanced government, of which will last for many years to come.

Leadership is something that needs a certain characteristic that one man can not possess. To be a good leader you have to be open to new idea's and not hold on to the power of leadership. To be a good leader you have to accept the reality that you can't be there forever. This quality, although very minuscule has a great effect on the people. When George Washington became president of the United States of America, he knew he wouldn't be there forever. Four years pass and Washington declared his resignation of office. Thus proving that George was not an advocate for his own prosperity.

However, a major characteristic that was needed was the intelligence that one man possessed. Thomas Jefferson was one of the most intelligent of the founding brothers. He had a way with words that no one else could match. Overall, Jefferson had the confidence that he will be remembered. When Jefferson was on his deathbed, he whispered "Jefferson still lives" (Joseph Ellis, Founding Brothers). By this Jefferson's ego sought to tell him that his would be remembered throughout the ages.

As you can see, there were many characteristics that were required for the revolution and one man can not have all those qualities. George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson collaborated in a way that no other group of people had before them. They, in times of futile disagreement and war, were able to come to many agreements through contradiction and bias ideas. Though it came to many times were their disagreements may have overcome their need for freedom, they pulled through. They declared their right to be free and have a democratic government; christened The United States of America.

Perplexity

Why do we Americans seem to blame others for our misfortunes? We have done it since the start of our country. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed by the Founding Brothers of the United States of America. They signed to remove themselves from the King and depart on there own, with their new idea of a government.
Notice how in the Declareation of Independence it states that "...the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States..." This shows how the colonists blamed just one man for the "repeated injuries and usurpations."
Why just one man? Why not blame the country? Instead, Thomas Jefferson wrote that the King was "A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people." Thus, saying that he was not ready to be a ruler of the people who want him to "...Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good..."

A ruler who wanted what was best him and not for the people was not who they wanted to rule America. The most perplexing thing about the Declaration of Independence is how they stated that "Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us... They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends." Even though they state that their brittish brethren have unwarrantable jurisdiction or unwanted authority over the colonists. They refered to their "enemy in war" as their brethren. Why? We declared war on them, yet we call them our brothers? Was this to make all the people of the war seem to be innocent and the King seem evil? This may have been a great way to persuade the people or it could have been one that slowed the revolution down. This is perplexity, in the sense that we are uncertain of what was really meant by this. Maybe the colonist blamed the whole country. Maybe they really dud think it was the King. Either way, they were able to stray from the Brittish and establish a well working government. We succeeded in are Independence, but failed to point the gun at the people but only at the King. The question is why...


----The following video is narrated by Robin Shields on the Library of Congress website.---
About The Video:
"Robin Shields discusses the American Declaration of Independence, focusing on its distribution through early American newspapers. Fifteen newspapers containing the Declaration from the Library of Congress' Serial and Government Publication Division's American newspaper collection are profiled. Shields highlights the importance of newspapers for the success of the American Revolution and the influence newspaper printers had on the independence movement."(Library of Congress)

Watch this video