2022 - Page 2 of 3 - The Founding Project

Richard Henry Lee and Independence

October 5, 2022 Margo Louis 1

Richard Henry Lee and America’s Steps to Independence Richard Henry Lee was a prominent statesman from Virginia. Though not a firebrand, like Patrick Henry, or quite as prolific as Thomas Paine, Lee became known as a powerful orator and writer. His words, spoken and in print, were important cogs in the wheels that churned toward America’s independence from England. Lee was born in Virginia and following home tutoring and then schooling in England, he returned to America and served as a Justice of the Peace for Westmoreland County. In 1758, he was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses and was later a delegate to Continental Congress. The Steps Toward Independence Following the Seven Years […]

Exploring Populism in Politics

September 28, 2022 Margo Louis 0

Defining Populism Defining Populism is challenging, because it is a shallow political theory with a number of variations. Populism doesn’t belong to any one political party. And, Populism isn’t necessarily bad. With Populism, it depends on how far it goes, how it is used, and if the public is generally aware of its use. Because Populism has no specific stances or policies, it is more of a movement that involves inspiring people, because of a leader who inspires supporters. The First Use of the Word, Populist, in the U. S. The word, populist, first appeared in 1890 when a party by that name, The Populist Party, organized to represent the interests of farmers against […]

Alice Augusta Ball, Unsung American Chemist

September 25, 2022 Peter Crowell Anderson 0

Alice Augusta Ball: The Woman Who Cured Leprosy So few know the name, Alice Augusta Ball or her accomplishments, because initially another man took credit for her work. But Alice Augusta Ball is a black woman and is now known for significantly contributing to medical discoveries and firsts for women. This is her story… Leprosy or Hansen’s Disease One of the most virulent plagues known to mankind is Leprosy, also called Hansen’s Disease. Because the disease was highly contagious, painful and disfiguring, and known to cause certain death, patients with Leprosy were immediately forced into quarantine far from others. Patients experienced slow, miserable deaths due to this disease with little to comfort them. […]

The U. S. Constitution: Simplified

September 24, 2022 thefpAdmin 5

The U. S. Constitution: Simplied…Abbreviated for beginning understanding or quick reference When you just want to get the general or simplified idea of what is covered, TFP offers an abbreviated version of the U.S. Constitution. Think of this as your “pocket version” of the full Constitution. It is not meant to be a version for legal purposes or study. It is meant to give our members the general idea of each portion of the Constitution for better understanding or a beginning approach to learning about the greatest document of freedom the world had experienced. Look for general definitions at the end of this simplified version. The full, original transcription of the U. S. Constitution […]

Bradford: The First Constitution of the New World

September 21, 2022 Clay Blanche 0

Bradford, Plymouth and The Mayflower Compact Preface: William Bradford, the governor of Plymouth colony, and his famous and moving diary, a History of Plymouth Plantation, one of the great works of New England literature, will be drawn on heavily in this article. Bradford, The Pilgrims of Plymouth and the First Constitutional Government in the New World Bradford was not only a gifted writer, he would also become one of the heroic pioneers of Western history, laying the cornerstones that made possible the building of the American Republic. On August 5, 1620, the Pilgrims set sail, encountering, according to Bradford, “many fierce storms in which the ship was soundly shaken.” Amazingly, only two died on the […]

Founding Principle 2: A Universal Truth

August 4, 2022 Tony Wyman 0

Continuing The Founding Project Series on The 28 Founding Principles, TFP writer, Tony Wyman, covers Founding Principle #2, Universal Truth. The Founders’ Universal Truth: A free people cannot survive under a republican constitution unless they remain virtuous and morally strong. It might strike students of history as odd that Ben Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers best known for his carousing and imbibing, joined his fellow Founders in believing that a free society could exist only if its people were moral and virtuous, the universal truth. But, like many men since whose appetites sometimes conflict with their philosophies, he recognized that his personal behavior wasn’t always in line with what was best for the […]

50 Ways to Leave Your Freedom

July 18, 2022 Maggie Dine 2

50 Ways to Leave Your Freedom (or How to Lose Your Freedom in 10 Days) Freedom…we talk about it often. It is also a commodity most Americans have always experienced. Americans may even take freedom for granted. We’ve not experienced horrific oppression or living as serfs with overlords. It’s easy to recognize the peasant – lord or king – subject dynamic. But, could we recognize freedom being slowly whittled away from us? We saw how easy it was for movie star, Kate Hudson, to lose her boyfriend in a recent movie, “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”. After luring a boyfriend, she slowly destroyed their relationship over the course of ten days. Prior […]

The Anatomy of a Conspiracy Theory

June 27, 2022 Margo Louis 0

The Anatomy of a Conspiracy Theory: How Conspiracy Theories Are Born Conspiracy: The War against The National Anthem Conspiracy theories have a long history of being destructive to America and Americans. Over decades, they have inspired hate, violence, and turmoil in the nation. To protect the nation and its citizens, Americans have a duty to be accurately informed and to stop the spread of harmful misinformation (accidentally wrong information) and disinformation (purposefully wrong information). Understanding how conspiracy theories develop, even ones that occur somewhat innocently, helps Americans to live up to that civic duty. An Incident Several years ago, a prominent airline neared its destination and the pilot announced to his passengers that the flight […]

Individual Rights and The Smallest Minority

June 5, 2022 Tony Wyman 0

It Should Be All About You, the Smallest Minority… Regardless of your race, your religion, your gender, you are a minority. In fact, you are the only minority that matters. All the others are simply social constructs, ways societies categorize and manage groups of people, ways in which governments are able to prioritize the distribution of resourcee of alt-right “racialism.” or measure the use of force. But, you? You’re different, special and unique. In fact, you belong to a minority so unlike all other minorities that there is an exclusive name for this minority to which you and only you belong: individual. I’m not trying to turn you into a convert of Ayn Rand, the controversial […]

Algernon Sidney, Unsung Founding Father

June 5, 2022 John Barrett 0

Algernon Sidney, An Unsung Founder Every year, as we approach the anniversary of his beheading, I pay tribute to Algernon Sidney. Since so few people have heard of Col. Sidney, much less know of his influence on the founding fathers, I believe it is important to provide some information about him. Algernon Sidney was an associate of John Locke and one of the luminaries of the Whig Movement (not to be confused with the Whig Party in the U.S.). While Locke fled to Holland upon being implicated in the Rye House Plot to assassinate, King Charles II, Col. Sidney stayed and was arrested. At trial, the primary evidence against Col. Sidney was the manuscript for […]