John Paul Jones, by Grace

John Paul Jones was born 1747 In Scotland.

He got very little schooling. As soon as he learned to read he had learned to row a boat. At twelve he was very good with boats. 

Once his father and a shipowner by the name of James Younger, saw him trying to lead passengers through the stormy waves to the shore. Mr. Younger thought they'd never make it. But his father told him not to fear for it was his son that was the boat man. 

After he had made it safely to shore Mr. Younger offered him a berth in his new boat so he could become an apprentice. They accepted his offer.

He was able to visit his brother who had been adopted by the Jones family. They offered to adopt him to but he said." Thank you sir, but I am afraid I am too fond of my ship."

He was very rapid in his progress: at 17 he was second mate at 18 first mate at 19 he was part owner of a slave ship. After two years he had had enough, he knew slavery was wrong and did not want anything to do with it. He was almost mutinied when a fever broke out,so  he decided he needed to punish the man who started it. The man died and he was accused of murder. He felt bad and never treated one of his fellow men like that again.

When he heard about the freedom America was trying to get he joined the Continental Navy. He was never defeated in his fighting. One of the best quotes from him is, " I have not yet begun to fight!" He said this when asked to surrender, for his ship was sinking. He was a great man of courage!

Moral People Need Fewer Laws, by Lucy

John Adams: "Our Constitution was made only for a moral . . . people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."


Benjamin Franklin: "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt . . .  they have more need of master."
             
Moral people need fewer laws because they are made of divine attributes which keep hem godlike. God loves law. He doesn't need any laws set for Him. People who are careless need law. They do not try to understand life.

Obey and Be Blessed; Disobey and Be Punished, by Grace

Calvin Coolidge, United States president, wrote: 

"We do not need more law, we need more religion...there is no way...we can substitute the authority of law for the virtue of men...peace, justice, humanity, charity---these can not be legislated into being." 

(Promises of the Constitution)

If we want to be a free people we must govern ourselves and obey God's laws, if we do not we will have to be governed by the country's laws.

The Israelites were led out of Egypt into the wilderness by Moses, God gave Moses ten commandments for the people to keep, only ten.

But when Moses came to give these commandments to them they were worshiping a golden calf, he realized they were not ready for these higher laws, but that they must start with many small ones.

Obey and be blessed, disobey and be punished.

Benjamin Franklin said: "Only virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corupt...they have need of more masters."

He hits the point exactly, if you are virtuous then, and only then, can you have freedom.

I will end with what William Penn said, "Men will either be governed by God or ruled by tyrants."

Isaac Newton, Detective, by Caleb

Today I read about Isaac Newton. He became the detective of the mint where they printed money and he was trying to find the criminals but he could not. Finally one day he told his friend to disguise himself and then he pretended he was one of them and they told his friend where their hiding place was, so then Isaac called the police and they caught the robbers.

Checks and Balances, by Lucy

This week I learned about checks and balances. Who knew that our government survives on these? Well, I didn't! Checks and balances keep us all working together. Our government was designed to have representatives, chosen by the people to govern all of us. We, the people, have agreed with the Constitution and live by it. Checks and balances are to help us all live fairly and to help us work stuff out. Sometimes, when some power is given to somebody, they use the power given to them and then take more. Checks and balances help the duties of the representatives stay focused, governed and purposeful. Thanks to these checks and balances, our government is still a republic.

Thomas Paine, by Grace

"...Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered..." 

Thomas Paine was born in England. He was married twice but both marriages did not turn out. His first wife died. The second he had issues with.

One day, by happenstance, he met Benjamin Franklin in London. Franklin helped him emigrate to the colonies. He was very good writer; he joined the Americans in their cry for freedom, and he encouraged them with good writings like Common Sense. His pamphlet Common Sense was first published January 10 of 1776. by April there were 120,000 copies made. He argued for two points; independence form England, and the creation of a democratic republic. This pamphlet bound the fighters for freedom more tightly. It was a great defense for the Americans independence form England.

Here are some famous words from Common Sense;

"These are times that try men's souls. The summer solider and sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; But he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph!'