Tag Archives: Freedom

Christopher Columbus and James Madison Stood by Their Decisions

Posted on by October 13, 2011

October 12 is officially Columbus Day. I hope you enjoyed it, and maybe even thought a little bit about Christopher Columbus! Columbus was a gifted sailor, mapmaker, navigator, and astronomer. One of his foremost characteristics was being persistent. He was decided that he could find a way across the oceans to sail East by going West.

He devised a plan and prepared a presentation to obtain funding. He first presented this plan to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. It was rejected. With dogged determination he went to Portugal and laid out his plans to the King. It was rejected. He moved on to France and showed the possibilities to their Monarch. It was rejected. He traveled to England and made another attempt to convince someone to support his ideas. It was rejected. read more

Patrick Henry’s Red Hill

Posted on by September 29, 2010

He didn’t become a player on the national stage like George Washington or Thomas Jefferson. But he did serve in the House of Burgesses with both of them. And one of them, Thomas Jefferson, said that the speech given by this Founding Father, on his fifth day of membership in that House lit the flame in him that let him know that the colonies were on their way to Independence. His name is Patrick Henry. His last resting place is at Red Hill in Virginia.

Thomas Jefferson’s Home – Monticello

Posted on by September 26, 2010

Thomas Jefferson’s home – Monticello

Thomas Jefferson loved classical architecture and he loved to tinker and  invent. Today he’d be Bill Gates. If you haven’t seen President Jefferson’s home you’ve missed out on a lot. If you ever get a chance, go and visit Monticello.

Jefferson Had “The Wolf by the Ears”

Posted on by July 19, 2010

I over heard a comment the other day by someone denigrating the Founding Fathers as just being a bunch of rich, white slaveowners. As I reflected on this unsympathetic comment, I was struck by how misunderstood Thomas Jefferson and his stand on slavery is by the current generation.

In our current politically correct environment, I believe it’s difficult for any of us Americans, hyphenated or not, to understand Jefferson’s predicament.

Jefferson’s feelings regarding slavery are well documented, if misunderstood. Included in his first draft of The Declaration of Independence is a strong chastisement against King George III for bringing slavery to the colonies. Jefferson blamed slavery on the King of England. read more

Liberty or Not — That is the Question

Posted on by May 17, 2010

When any attention is paid to our nation’s founding documents, much attention is paid to the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution, especially to the phrase “promote the general Welfare.” It seems to me that too little attention is paid to the words immediately following that phrase.  The words “and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity” perhaps currently need much more attention by the citizenry and its representatives.

Are we trying at all to secure the “Blessing of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity” when we go on unbridled spending sprees? Are we selling our Liberty for a mess of pottage? Are we purchasing our security for a loss of our Liberty, our Liberty and that of our children? read more