American Revolution
Fulton’s Folly Changed Transportation and Interstate Commerce Forever
Clarmont, dubbed by some as Fulton’s Folly, was a small ship, even by the standards of the early 19th Century. It was only 142 feet long, with a beam of 18 feet, and displaced 121 tons. Clarmont was about the size of a small sailing frigate. The big difference was that it only had two small masts for sails since its four-foot wide and 15-foot diameter paddle wheels powered by a 19-horsepower steam engine built by the English firm of Boulton & Watt pushed the boat through the water.
Read MoreThe First Deposit on Our Freedom
While the casualties – dead, maimed mentally and physically– are a reminder of the sacrifices our nation’s servicemen and women made, the reality is that less than one-tenth of a percent of our population is affected. Not so, the American Revolution where between 1775 and 1783, 4.9% of those in favor of independence in the Thirteen Colonies died.
Read MoreOur Invasion of Canada Failed, But It Changed British Strategy
The 2,000 men of the Continental Army that arrived at Crown Point had suffered through disease, privation, hunger, and exposure. It was far from an effective fighting force and was held together during the transit by Arnold’s and Sullivan’s leadership.
Read MoreAttacking a Country is Easier Than Taking it
To help in this effort to win over the Canadians, the Continental Congress sent a delegation to Montreal led by Benjamin Franklin. Their goal was to meet with the local citizens to convince them to join the Thirteen Colonies in their fight against the British.
Read MoreFirst U.S. Invasion of Canada
At best, reception to Canadian’s joining the American cause was tepid so in 1775, the Second Continental Congress authorized the Continental Army to march north and seize Montreal and Quebec City, the capital of Canada.
Read MoreThree Letters to Canada
Translated into French, 2,000 copies were sent to Montreal and Quebec City. The British Governor General Guy Carleton managed to have his troops seize most, but not all, of the copies. The letter, according to modern Canadian historians Marcel Trudel and Gustave Lanctôt, was Canada’s first lesson in constitutional law since it highlighted how the British government was ignoring the terms of the 1763 Treaty of Paris.
Read MoreRebuilding a Library
Roughly 3,000 books and countless other records were fed into the fire. Many of the books were donated by members of Congress and were housed in the room known as the Library of Congress. When this library was created, the Founding Fathers intended it for research. Its existence is not constitutionally mandated.
Read MoreWe’ve Tried Trade Embargos Before
In the U.S., the Chesapeake incident caused a political firestorm and President Jefferson was forced to act. This was a period during which he had defunded the U.S. Navy despite the continual impressment of U.S. merchant seamen. For the record, between 1800 and 1812, 15,000+ U.S. citizens were forced to serve in the Royal Navy.
Read MoreThe Senate’s First Impeachment Trial
On July 3rd, 1797, President Adams delivered a letter to Vice President Jefferson, who was the president of the Senate and presiding over the Senate the day before it was to adjourn for the year. The document stated that the administration was investigating Senator William Blount of Tennessee.
Read MoreClass Assignments in the U.S. Senate
George Washington was elected as our first president, and his vice president, John Adams, was presiding over the Senate as per Article II, Section 3, Paragraph 4. The question of determining which senators would be in each election “class” was being debated. There were only 20 Senators in the room since Rhode Island and North Carolina had yet to ratify the Constitution and could not send Senators. New York hadn’t gotten around to electing its Senators so none were members.
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