Dylan Thomas

Moving into the nineteenth century, the abolitionist movement surrounding the death penalty began to come into effect. Many reforms were seen in many states during the early 1800s, including giving the jury discretion in imposing the death penalty and limiting the types of crimes (down to two in New Hampshire and Ohio by 1815) that were eligible for the death penalty. This is time when juries began to utilize their own power through the controversial actions known as “jury nullification,” in…

path that he followed. His original career was being a lawyer in NY. Eventually he got his first major job in politics, which was being a Senator, a position he was elected to in 1791. He increased his importance when he became the Vice President of Thomas Jefferson in 1800. Although, he did not fill this position during Jefferson’s second term, because of issues between the two. So, within a year or so of being replaced, Burr turned to a secessionist scheme, which he had been planning for a…

Man may attempt to exert influence over politics, but he is only able to do so through the sphere in which he understands them to exist. Knowledge then directly controls the practice and concept of politics. The relationship between politics and knowledge as understood by Machiavelli and Hobbes differs according to their interpretations of human nature, fear, and individualism, which consequently affects the way they view and approach political systems. Regarding the nature of man, Machiavelli…

rule them. There were several discussions on how America would be governed. Many people had different yet some similar ideas for America. Thomas Paine, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson all wrote their ideas on how America should set up their government. Some of these ideas were still used today but not used then. Thomas Paine stated his ideas for the government in his book, Common Sense, which was written in 1776. Paine stated that America should not…

country. Hamilton, on the other hand, took a more pessimistic approach. He believed the public naturally had selfish tendencies that would impede on their ability to make wise decisions for the country. This viewpoint was similar to the stance of Thomas Hobbes, who believed that the natural state of humanity was to violently struggle for power and wealth. In fact, Hobbes and Hamilton both shared the same view that a strong central authority was necessary to maintain peace and order. However,…

The third president of the United States was Thomas Jefferson. He was born in 1743 and grew up in a wealthy plantation with his family near present-day Charlottesville, Virginia. Since at an early age, Jefferson learned all about Latin, Greek, and French history from the Anglican clergy. After the death of his father, he inherited the large plantation he lived in along with slaves that worked there. During his higher education years, Thomas Jefferson attended the College of William and Mary…

the year or 1796 and 1801, major rivalries and social divisions began to break out. Some of these political and social divisions are brought up among the following readings; “Farewell Address” by George Washington, the “First Inaugural Address” by Thomas Jefferson, and “Reflections on Meeting Jefferson” by Margaret Smith. These all reflect the social scene during this time period and demonstrate the separation between both political parties. By studying these readings one can better understand…

Sir Thomas More was born in 1478, and through his 57 years on this earth he accomplished many things. From writing amazing literature, to serving as an important counselor to King Henry VIII, Thomas More was a remarkable and moving person, but our story doesn’t start with him. The year is 1509, and England is celebrating the appointment of their new King, Henry the Eighth, and his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Seven years later, Catherine gave birth to her and Henry’s first child,…

The Real of the Ideal The meaning of an American identity is an ideal and a contradiction. In Creating America, Joyce Moser and Ann Watters suggest that, “In understanding American identities, we need to come to terms with unity and division, with separateness and common ground”. This quotation is full of contradictions such as “unity” to “division” and “separateness” to “common ground”. The contradiction gives a complete image of America. The argument stated by Moser and Watters seems to be…

Thomas Jefferson was one of the founding fathers of our Nation, he helped drafted the Declaration of Independence, and eventually became the 3rd president of the United States. However, Jefferson was a contradiction in every sense of the word; despite the fact, he promoted individual liberties such as the freedoms of religion, conscience and most illogicality the freedom of personal liberty, he owned slaves and viewed Africans as inferior. His views on slavery and race are most prevalent in an…