Barbara Bennett Peterson

This book follows the life of James Madison, our 4th president, who at the tender age of twenty-five was thrust into significant politics as an elected member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. Even in his first venture into statesmanship. Madison took notes on constitutional deliberations, a practice that he would continue in the Federal Convention that proposed the United States Constitution and throughout much of his legislative career whether in Philadelphia, New York City, or Williamsburg, Virginia. Just as most of our knowledge of the framing of the U.S. Constitution is provided by Madison's painstaking notes of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, much of our knowledge of George Mason's many contributions to the Virginia Constitution of 1776 are also known through Madison's efforts. His major personal contribution to that seminal state constitution is a brief but key phrase in the Virginia Declaration of Rights that would in many respects become a pattern for the Bill of Rights that Madison was later largely responsible for addition to the United States Constitution. His addition of a simple clause converted Mason's proposed language from religious toleration, where an official church would permit citizens to attend other churches, to religious freedom with its clear implication that it was one of the Rights of Man that were so important to that revolutionary generation. Throughout his career he remained committed to religious freedom and he is still considered one of its greatest contributors. During the brief time between his terms in Congress he would prevail in battles against the re-establishment of the Episcopal Church in Virginia and would win legislative approval for the Statute for Religious Freedom that Jefferson wrote and in which he took enormous pride, but which required the legislative management of James Madison to become law. Madison is best and justifiably known as "Father of the Constitution" because of his heroic role in bringing together the Federal Convention in 1787, influencing its outcomes through the Virginia Plan, maintaining records of the debates, winning its ratification in the largest state and influencing several other states.

James Monroe was the fifth president of the United States, whose terms extended from his election in 1816 through his retirement after the election of 1824. He brought an extensive résumé to the office, as Monroe had fought in the American Revolution, served in the Articles of Confederation Congress, became a lawyer, served as Governor of Virginia, Minister to France, England, and Spain, and was elected president as a Democratic-Republican. He had married Elizabeth Kortright from New York who spoke fluent French, and she greatly assisted him in rescuing the Marquise Adrienne Lafayette family during the French Reign of Terror. James Monroe was a deliberate man who studied all sides of a political question, consulted with his Cabinet, and made his own decisions with an instinct for command. He was a man's man who rode hard, shot sure, spoke plainly, and loved his family unconditionally. He worked hard to establish himself as a planter aristocrat in Virginia and befriended most politicians of his era, working with George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Patrick Henry, Alexander Hamilton, and David Livingston. Monroe was an ardent negotiator and was instrumental in securing the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the United States. He is most well-known and admired for his famed Monroe Doctrine, which guaranteed the independence of Latin American countries following the Napoleonic Wars. Monroe was a true statesman who ensured America's national security by rounding out U.S. natural boundaries through treaties and diplomacy, and provided for strong defenses at U.S. ports, harbors, and military installations. By enforcing the Monroe Doctrine, President Monroe established a strong place for America in world affairs, earning international respect and admiration.

The collaborative effort of nearly 100 China scholars from around the world, this unique one-volume reference provides 89 in-depth biographies of important Chinese women from the fifth century B.C.E to the early twentieth century.

This is an excellent full length biography of America's second president who was the Colossus of Independence' arguing for the passage of the Declaration of Independence on the floor of the Second Continental Congress. Adams' venerated political writings established the framework for our nation's government on the state and federal levels. A fine judge of character, Adams nominated George Washington to lead the Continental Army, negotiated foreign loans to aid the Revolution, gained recognition for America's independence abroad, and was part of the diplomatic team ending the Revolutionary War with the Treaty of 1783. Chosen as America's first ambassador to Britain, Adams renewed amicable relations with the former mother country. Through his political writings, Adams influenced the framework for the U.S. Constitution with his earlier state constitution for Massachusetts. Elected as Vice President when George Washington was elected first U.S. President, Adams established the ground rules for the U.S. Senate to operate, presiding as he did over that august legislative body. He served as Washington's right hand man and when elected to the presidency himself in 1796 he carried on Washington's "no entangling alliances" policies and made his own decision to keep the U.S. out of a full-scale war with France during the French Revolution. His Puritan New England background buttressed his sense of morality which he infused into every document he wrote and which dictated his close family relationships especially with his wife Abigail Smith Adams. John Adams was the "thinker" for the revolutionary generation who incorporated all elements of the American political tradition such as republicanism, the separation of powers, the compact theory for government's creation, the separation of church and state, the need for public education, the necessity for all citizens to enjoy the guarantees outlined later in the Bill of Rights, and the concept that the federal government should rise above the states. The brainpower of John Adams, through his notable documents and treatises, established the American political tradition. This book, covering Adams' life chapters from birth to death, shows in both public and private life how John Adams was morality triumphant, and was one of the most intelligent of the Founding Fathers.

This book provides an answer to the question 'Who are the Native Americans?' Their origins are significant in world history because they suggest early globalisation. 'Peopling of the Americas, Currents, Canoes, and DNA' explains that cultural diffusion from the Old World to the New World is a reality and a concept no longer to be marginalised. Peoples of many ethnic backgrounds entered the Americas from many parts of the globe very early in our history. Seen from this perspective, America is not really a new country, but has a long and rich pre-history revealed to us through archaeology and skull morphology research and most recently by DNA and genetic studies. Science, especially genetics, has meshed with cultural history to create this book explaining multiple origins of Native Americans.

As the first president, George Washington initiated a number of precedents and was conscious that he was establishing traditions. He also saw himself as a moral exemplar and lived his life as such, both personally and publicly. The Washington presidency created history, guided history, and preserved history. It also interpreted history, assimilated history, and used history. But above all, George Washington was inspirational and moved Americans to support great causes and ideals. This book presents and discusses George Washington's moral virtues and public presidential accomplishments.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the thirty-second president of the United States and served four consecutive terms, the longest presidential administration in American history. His resilience, forbearance, and superb political abilities establish Roosevelt as one of America's greatest leaders and he has been called the greatest president of the twentieth century for restoring confidence following the onset of the Great Depression and for winning World War II. In both domestic and foreign policy FDR was an improviser rather than an ideologue. Politically skilled from his days as a member of the New York senate and then as the Empire state's Governor, he was elected to the presidency in 1932, 1936, 1940 and 1944 a testament to how his personal charm and astute New Deal programs resonated with Americans. FDR was truly a national president who became an international leader and did not succumb to regionalism but united the continent. President Roosevelt became the most influential leader in the world in his lifetime. This book will explore the man's life all the way from his youth to his final days.

As the first president, George Washington initiated a number of precedents and was conscious that he was establishing traditions. He also saw himself as a moral exemplar and lived his life as such, both personally and publicly. The Washington presidency created history, guided history, and preserved history. It also interpreted history, assimilated history, and used history. But above all, George Washington was inspirational and moved Americans to support great causes and ideals. The American Revolution, the Confederation government, the US Constitution, the republican and federalist national government, and the new nation all attest to his greatness and virtue. The Washington presidency set the standards high for all other presidents to follow. And his personal character represented America at its finest, reflecting what American presidents should be, indeed must be if the US is to continue to lead the world. The story of George Washington's moral virtues and public presidential accomplishments is the story told herein.

The collaborative effort of nearly 100 China scholars from around the world, this unique one-volume reference provides 89 in-depth biographies of important Chinese women from the fifth century B.C.E to the early twentieth century.