I am reminded that Joseph J. Ellis is my favorite early American historian. He writes clearly of the important issues of the founding. He writes top down politics, which is my interest. He writes about the important people of the times. His focus is always clear and to the point.
The American Revolution was so improbable at the time, yet seemingly inevitable in retrospect. P. 3
The war could have ended early if only the Brits had pressed. It is amazing that this didn't happen, mostly due to British ineptitude. P. 5
From the beginning it is as if the European invaders considered the continent inhabited P. 7
Natives were never considered to become citizens of the new country from the beginning. P. 8
This history of our country is seemingly always written by mainstream historians as a history of white European conquest and political establishment.
Ellis is right to see the Constitutional Convention as a conservative movement. P. 8
Dedicated nationalists in nine state conventions outplayed the Anti-Federalists to establish the Constitution. P. 9
The terms "American" and "Democrat" were epithets in the beginning. P. 10
The founding was the first attempt to establish a republic on the size of the U.S. P. 11
For Ellis, and I agree, the central story is political with a small group of players. P. 13
Ellis always tells a top-down story: my preference.
Put slavery on the road to extinction without still-borning the nation: an open question. P. 17
The founders placed slavery out-of-bounds. P. 18
An entire chapter devoted to the Hamilton-Burr duel in 1804. P. 20
Evidently nothing good can be said about Aaron Burr.
Who cares about the details of the duel?
The significance of the Hamilton-Burr duel: not much. P. 46-48
The compromise of 1790 is the equal of the compromises of 1820 and 1850. P. 49-50
Jefferson later said that "the bargain" was his worse mistake. P. 51
Why was the passage of assumption so important? P. 52
Madison's conversion. P. 55
See Elkins and McKittrick pp. 77-92.
Ellis likes McDonald's biography of Hamilton. P. 256
Hamilton's view of assumption was not a plan to destroy the states. P. 62
Hamilton's vision was a projection of his personality. P. 63
Hamilton and Madison/Jefferson: contrasting visions of the country. P. 64
Ellis is pro-Hamilton. P. 64-65
The political football of where to locate the capitol an important event in the early history of the country. P. 70
The Compromise of 1790, the discussion of race in the legislature as a result of petitions presented to the Congress to abolish slavery, the decision to just not talk about slavery anymore, could have destroyed the country from the beginning. P.78
In Virginia all geese are swans. P. 79 :)
There was an erroneous belief early on that slavery was on its way to extinction. P. 89
Anti-slavery activities as a result of the Revolution were illusory. The institution was too rooted in Southern life to uproot. P. 90
Madison said that slavery was the chief divisive factor in the Constitutional Convention. P. 91
The Constitution and slavery. P. 93
A white supremacy nation from the beginning. P. 101
The Quaker petition was the last chance to take decisive action against slavery. P. 104
South Carolina & Georgia may have been bluffing, but no one called their bluff if it was that. P. 105
No emancipation plan was permissible without relocation. P. 107
Benjamin Franklin make emancipation the last great cause of his life. P. 110
Anti-slavery talk was swept under the rug to save the fragile new nation. P. 113
Summarizing Madison's hypocrisy over slavery. P. 114
The Founders could not honestly face the slavery question. P. 119
Adams was not a monarchist. P. 169
With Adams intimacy superseded ideology. P. 179
Adams would work across the aisle (as they say today). P. 180
Jefferson chose partisanship over statesmanship. P. 183
VP Jefferson led the opposition to his own President. P. 184
Whomever followed George Washington was doomed to failure. P. 185
There was a great wall of separation between the Federalist and the Republicans. P. 186
Adams: Jefferson is a dupe of his party. P. 187
Summary of the world that faced John Adams. P. 187
Abagail pushed the alien and sedition acts on her husband. P. 191
The delusions of Madison and Jefferson. P. 196
Details of the Kentucky and Virginia resolutions. P. 199-200
Jefferson's led directly to secession in 1861. P. 200
J and M differed on the location of sovereignty. P. 201
Beginning with Jefferson, the POTUS had to be the head of a political party. P. 2014
Adams was the abrupt end of virtue for virtue's sake. P. 205
Adams and Jefferson did not speak for 12 years. P. 205
Adams retired believing that Jefferson betrayed him. P. 207
Abagail reads Jefferson the riot act. P. 208
Abagail destroys Jefferson. P. 209
Jefferson was a man of party rather than principle. P. 210
Jefferson was not accustomed to having his lies thrown back in his face. P. 211
About narrative history. P. 216
Why did Adams reach out to Jefferson in 1812?
If I were Adams, I would have let Jefferson rot with his slaves. P. 223
The meaning of the 14-year correspondence. P. 224
Differences on inequality. P. 234-237
Jefferson apologizes regarding the French Revolution! P. 238
Ideology vs. realism. P. 238
The topic of slavery was off-limits. A shame for all time. P. 239
No comments:
Post a Comment