Joesph Ellis

Chapter 1: Jefferson: the best and worst of us – Slavery

To understand us, deal with him. Wanted to free slaves. Saw it as deep moral failing of salve owners. Suggested Virginia write into
Construction. Also believed African America inferior. Could never live with whites as equals. Wanted slavery ended to save white souls. Moral corruption of white masters. Moral abyss from which never recover.

Sensation not reflection, couldn’t love, ugly, odorous, work only when watched. No art.

As president, new states equal wit others. No heritable titles or privileges and end all forms of slavers by 1800. Missed by one vote.

1820: flip to protect slavery. Any fed improvement roads , ports acts to get control and end slavery. Spirit of 76 had nothing to get rid of slavery.

Cast himself as victim of circumstances. Only let go if they leave. To mix would ruin white race. Racial amalgamation was devastation. All created acre.

Look up William Julis Wilson. Sociology

Chapter 2: John Adams – anti-ism, economic inequality

Key to rev, anti-war and concerned about inequality. Didn’t want us to deify founders.
His concern with inequality made contemps dismiss him.

Crit Jefferson for magical thinking. Having a set concept of what life should be and designing as if it is achievable. Adams see what works. Realist and idealist. Skeptic and optimistic. Ideology a French word that should come with import duty to use.

The people as magic way to make things work. Public diff them popular opinion of the people. War in Europe wrong even though people wanted it.

Emotion iver ideas
Two parties. Many or few

Jeff fake few of brith. Real few of talent. Now have to parties of the few.

As long as property exists it will accumulate in individuals and families.
All banks owned by the peolple. Gov needs to reg.

Reject American exceptionalism

Status drives people. Want to be esteemed. More that wealth or property. Emotion most important. Like Scottish school

Who will love me then? Keep feeding dog when both starving. Wealth so much past use cause they attract attention.

Not socialist. Thought unleash chaos. French rev gave him evidence. Thought non heritage tilts to give people non-Wealth status to strive for. Napoleon did. Still exist.

Question not how to limit gov to free market and increase productivity, rather feee selves from idea of free market to create more equal society.

Econ change from triangle to a diamond.

New deal the abbreviation. Need to fight.

Chapter 3 – Originalists. The politics of today’s court

Original focus on one side of debate, anti gov. Plenty of strong pro gov voices and result is a mix. But these guys doing corp bidding to increase power of $ ignore all that.

Clear no individual right to bear arms. The amendment says “to maintain a well regulated militia”. Gov broke. Relied on stated to provide defense. Article 1 section 8 says feds can raise an army. States very concerned about that. Numerous discussion in ratification process focus on stats to have a militia. Never discuss individual right to arm. No evidence from founders. Case law before Heller 2008 all agree no right to bear arms.

Idea made up in last 30 years by right. Even creating false evidence such as Tom Payne saying they will take away your guns. When he really said they will take away your N*. Saying English confiscated guns with no evidence or that ever happening.

Look up Sacilas option in heller to see what he says about rights, bear, and arms.

Chapter 4 – Washington and native Americans

Anti imperial empire. No colonies. All states equal. All citizens.

Wash wanted control flow into rest of country. Others countries still out there.

Native Americans not fit in. American thought could take land. Hopswell, conquerored people. ConsulTig with them more than deserved. Not work with revolution.

Fort harmer. Paid fir land made legal. And Indians no choice. Peplums encroCh till need to change. Covert conquest

As pres, wash focused on natives preps. First as worry about war after Indians realize theirs treaties worthless. Then saw how opposite of rev.

Spent first years to make a fair deal. Chose creek people. Saw creek as sovereign nation and pres can deal.

Wash idea series of homeland. Invaluable borders for them to live. Uninforveable. People nor states cared

Straight taking. Then forced purchase and encroachment. Now real homeland.
Treaty of New York 1790 vast areas of west Georgia. , n Florida, n Tennessee, most of Alabama. Gov protect borders. Stated ignored. Fed no ability to stop.

Couldn’t stop even in the generation of rev.

Jay treaty people called wash traitor, secret Tory. Wanted him to die. Peace with England. Stop taking our ships. Remove troops from us. Have to pay debts to England.

Jeff would tee up construction to stop this. Just needs to not fund. Instead was remove terry from pres and senate. And inky house (not in house at all).

Fair well address leaving on his own. Not Heroitary leader. Asked us to unify. Roof without walls. Not have a unified county yet
Stay out of foreign entanglements. Econ relationship without political. America lucky. Exception cause of geo, pop, rebuplican values built in rev made us unique. Not madden better version rather unusual assets. Not transferrable to other countries.

Epilogue – how some many good leads arrive at once?
Why so good leaders? Wash/adams to trump/Clinton. Crisis and war created talents. Not tied to blood so Hamilton and Washington get change to rise. Fame drove them. Felt natural aristocrat, merit. Not believe in people. Less was more imagination not stuck in establish European thought. (Share power, no god). They actually talked. Took time to struggle and threw many people under the bus.

Successes:
First Nation size republic

Wholly secular state. Before thought had to have a god to hold together.

Power not have to be single. Can be shared and reside in people.

Land / property

Fauliure:
Indians. Possible to live with not able. Wash tried and failed.
Africans: not able to imagine living with them. No one tried Jeff after Louisiana purchase

Jay in treaty of Paris. Not talk to France. Made separate peace with England. Made missippiss river border. Clarity of judgement and independent

Morris spike more and influenced more during convention and wrote final version. We rise and fall together

Look at Morris and jay